A Bundle of Joy
by Paperkut-98
Summary: This is such a great fic! It is about Kagome and an unexpected pregnancy... read it if you want to find out more!
1. Something Unexpected This Way Comes

"Bundle of Joy"

An Inuyasha fanfic

By Paperkut98

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Inuyasha. I am making no profit off of this story. You may not reproduce this fanfic without the permission of the author. Thank you.

Chapter One:

SURPRISE, KAGOME!

Safe. It was one of the words Kagome could pick to describe how she felt when she was around Inuyasha. She felt safe because she knew he would protect her, and also that he loved her, even if he didn't make it obvious all the time.

She thought about this as she lay next to him, running her fingers through his silky, silver hair as he snored softly in his sleep. She could see everything about him under the moonlight that shone through the nearby window—his pale, white complexion; the long eyelashes that framed his soulful eyes; the unusual dog ears that sprouted out of Inuyasha's shimmering silver hair…

Kagome smiled. Inuyasha definitely wasn't like most men, THAT was for sure. But was one of the things she liked about him.

The girl cuddled up closer to her companion, laying her head on his chest as it rose and descended with each breath the boy took. _I'm so lucky_, she thought. She then concentrated solely on Inuyasha's breathing, and she fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.

The next morning, Kagome and Inuyasha both woke up early, shortly after the sun had rose. They got dressed and washed. Then, Inuyasha headed out to chop firewood, while Kagome prepared breakfast. She fried some fish on a pan over the fireplace, and she boiled water in a kettle for the morning tea. She had just put the meal on the table when Inuyasha arrived back home.

"Is breakfast ready yet?" he asked.

Kagome smiled, and pointed at the table.

"Good." Inuyasha sat down at his seat, and he quickly started eating Kagome's meal. She sat down as well, and sipped her tea in silence as Inuyasha chomped on his fish.

"This is good," he managed to mumble through a full mouth. He swallowed, and then took a large gulp of his steaming hot tea. He finally noticed Kagome's stare, and his expression became one of anger.

"What are you looking at?" he demanded.

Kagome giggled. "YOU, silly. We've been together for almost a month now, and you STILL eat like a wild animal!"

Inuyasha growled. "Hey! I don't eat like a wild animal! Take that back!"

Kagome just laughed. "It's OK," she said, smiling into his eyes. "It's actually kind of cute."

Inuyasha was about to say something defensive back to Kagome, but he saw the admiring sincerity in her eyes, and he immediately relaxed. He blushed slightly, and the two looked into each other's eyes gently for a few moments.

Suddenly, there was a loud knock on the door.

Kagome set her hot tea back on the table and turned to look at the door.

"I wonder who that could be?" she said.

"I hope it's not Myoga again," Inuyasha muttered. "The last time he visited, he wanted us to lend him some money."

Kagome got up and walked to the door. She opened it, and then gasped when she was met with a very familiar face.

"Sango!" Kagome exclaimed. The tall, lean woman before her smiled.

"Hello, Kagome," she said. "Nice place you have here."

Kagome quickly brought her old friend inside. "Oh, Sango! It's so nice to see you!"

"Sango?" Inuyasha asked as he saw the woman. She was wearing her traditional out-of-battle uniform—her long dress that was both soft and dark violet; her long green skirt that wrapped around her waist and trailed down to her ankles; her dark gloves; and even her blue kerchief that wrapped around her shoulders. She was recognizable, but she seemed even more mature to Inuyasha than she had the last time he had seen her.

"Inuyasha," Sango acknowledged him. "How are you doing?"

"As good as always," Inuyasha answered.

"We're both doing very well," Kagome assured Sango.

"That's good to hear," Sango smiled. She took a look around the wooden cabin, and she saw the small fireplace, alive with flames; the wooden table that held the couple's meal; and also the shut door that led to their small, shared bedroom. "This is a wonderful home," Sango told Kagome.

Kagome shrugged. "It's a bit small, but it's comfortable. Inuyasha made it, all by himself. Well, I helped a little, but—"

"Kagome was too busy sitting by the lake to help me," Inuyasha grumbled.

"A lake?" Sango asked.

Kagome nodded. "It's beautiful. I could sit by it and watch the sun and water all day."

"It sounds nice," Sango agreed. She looked back at the table and saw the food that was there. "Oh, I'm sorry," she said to Kagome. "Did I come at a bad time?"

"No, not at all!" Kagome assured Sango. She led the woman closer to the table. "Please, sit. Drink some tea with us—the kettle should still be hot."

Sango smiled. "Thank you."

As Sango sat down in Kagome's seat and Kagome prepared her tea, Inuyasha stood up and pushed his chair in.

"Sorry to leave, but I haven't finished chopping firewood yet," Inuyasha told the girls.

"It's OK," Kagome said. "Just don't take too long. I don't want to have to worry about you."

Inuyasha grunted in response. He then walked out the door and headed off, into the forest.

Kagome finished with Sango's tea. She then took a seat where Inuyasha had been, and she took a sip of her own tea. She finally caught Sango's gaze, and she saw the amused look in her friend's eyes.

"What?" Kagome asked.

Sango giggled. "Inuyasha—he's… housebroken. It's like you've trained him or something, Kagome."

Kagome giggled back, and then sighed with a dreamy look on her face. "Inuyasha is so… right. It's like he's the perfect guy I've always dreamed about having…"

"Yes," Sango agreed quietly. Her gaze fell to her tea, and a heavy knot started to form in her stomach.

Kagome noticed Sango's fallen expression, and she immediately felt concerned. "Sango?" she asked. "Is there something wrong? You don't look too good."

Sango was silent for a moment, feeling Kagome's worried eyes on her face. She finally spoke softly, "It's just that…"

Kagome waited patiently. Sango seemed really upset to her. She wondered what was wrong…

Sango finally cried out her problem. "Kagome, I think I may be pregnant!"

Kagome let out a loud gasp, and her teacup dropped from her hands. The hot tea immediately spilled all over the wooden table.

"Oh, Kagome!" Sango quickly took a nearby napkin and started to clean up the mess, not wanting her friend's table to stain.

Kagome stared at Sango as she worked, feeling absolute shock. She just simply could not understand how Sango could get pregnant. She knew that Sango wasn't with anyone, so that meant that… No, Kagome thought. Sango would never do that…

"With who?" Kagome finally managed to squeak out.

Sango nervously bit her lower lip, and sat down. "His name is _Akihiro_," she said quietly. She set the wet napkin down on the table.

Kagome struggled to keep her mouth shut. She had so many questions for Sango, but she couldn't ask them. She had to listen to what Sango had to say, and be a good friend to her.

Sango took a deep breath, and then said, "I was at a village, close to here."

Kagome nodded in silence, and Sango continued. "I was there to visit someone, who I thought was a survivor from my Village, and I ended up staying in an Inn…"

She took a moment, and then continued. "The innkeeper, Akihiro… He was very kind, and he took care of me because I wasn't feeling very well. He was charming –and handsome—and he treated me with respect, so we got along well. We talked a lot, and I started to feel better, and before I knew it, he…" Sango held her arms, a look of guilt on her face. "He was gentle, and he didn't take me by force. But… I still shouldn't have… I mean… I can't believe it…"

Kagome felt shocked. She knew that there was nothing really wrong with what Sango did, according to herself, but she also knew that Sango felt guilty. She couldn't admit it, but everyone else could see that Sango was in love with Miroku, and most likely had wanted her first time to be with _him_. Besides, Sango couldn't raise a child right now, especially if Miroku wasn't the father.

"I wouldn't have done it," Sango said weakly. "But I was lonely…"

Her voice trembled. Kagome took Sango's hands into her own and squeezed them tightly. "It's alright," she said softly. Sango fought back her tears.

'_Wow_,' Kagome thought. '_I wouldn't have thought that Sango would do something like that…_'

Sango quickly wiped the tears from her eyes, and she strongly said, "I CAN'T be pregnant, Kagome. I just CAN'T."

Kagome took a deep breath, and then she said, "Sango, it's going to be alright. I'm glad you came to tell Inuyasha and me. We're here for you."

"Um, actually…" Sango blushed.

"What?"

"I only came to tell you," Sango said, looking up at Kagome with wide, brown eyes.

"Oh," Kagome squeaked. She giggled with embarrassment. "Why me?"

Sango blushed. "I was just wondering… well, in this era, women have to wait to find out if we're pregnant. But since you're from the future, I was just wondering if maybe there's a way to find out right away…"

"Oh!" Kagome exclaimed. "You mean a pregnancy test! Wait here, I've got just the thing!"

Kagome got up and ran into the bedroom. She fished around in the night table for a while, and then came out with a small object that looked unfamiliar to Sango.

"What is that?" Sango asked, pointing to the object. Kagome laid it down on the table.

"It's a pregnancy test," Kagome explained. "It tells whether you're having a baby or not. When I told my mom that I was moving in with Inuyasha, she made me take some with me, even though I've never had to use one."

"Oh," Sango nodded. Suddenly, Kagome noticed the look of terror in Sango's eyes. The strong woman looked like she was about to burst into tears.

"Hey," Kagome said gently. She held Sango's hands again, trying to comfort her friend. "Look, I know it's scary, but…"

Suddenly, an idea formed in Kagome's head. "I'll be right back," she promised, and she ran back into the bedroom. She came back out with another pregnancy test, and she smiled at Sango.

"Look!" Kagome said. "I'll take one, too. That way, you won't be alone."

Sango stared for a moment, then smiled. "Thank you, Kagome. You're a good friend."

Kagome hesitated, and then gingerly took Sango's hands into hers. She squeezed them reassuringly one last time, and told her, "It will be OK. Everything will be just fine…"

In about thirty minutes, the two girls took deep breaths, and went to the table, where they had laid their pregnancy tests while they waited for results.

With a shaking hand, Sango picked hers up off of the table, and managed to glance at it. With a giant sigh of relief, she gasped, "Kagome—it's negative! I' not pregnant!"

Kagome grinned. "Oh, I knew it!" she exclaimed. She picked her test off of the table, as well, and then told Sango, "Now, I know I'm not pregnant or anything, but I'm just gonna check mine, just in—"

Kagome stopped when her eyes scanned the test. With a loud shriek, she dropped it to the floor.

It was positive.


	2. How Did THIS Happen?

"A Bundle of Joy"

An _Inuyasha_ fanfic

By Paperkut-98

**DISCLAIMER**: I do not own Inuyasha. I am making no profit off of this story. You may not reproduce this fanfic without the permission of the author. Thank you.

Chapter Two:

"How Did _This_ Happen?"

Once Kagome's breathing returned to normal again, Sango wondered if she had acted similarly when she had thought that she was pregnant.

"_No!_" Kagome exclaimed, pacing back and forth throughout the cabin with a frantic expression on her face. "I'm 16, for crying out loud! I _can't_ be pregnant! I haven't finished high school! What if my mom finds out? What if Grandpa finds out?" Suddenly, she gasped very loudly, andwent to Sango to grab her shoulders. "WHAT IF INUYASHA FINDS OUT?" she cried.

Sango fraughtly jerked out of Kagome's grip, and exclaimed, "Please, Kagome, calm down! We don't know for sure if the test is accurate or not."

Kagome's eyes widened, and a dawned expression bloomed onto her face. "Oh, that's right!" she gasped, as if she had just won the lottery.

Sango nodded. "Yes. What if you checked the wrong test?" Although she desperately didn't want to be pregnant, she certainly didn't want Kagome to be, either. The older woman was much more capable of raising a young child, whereas Kagome was still growing up herself. She would have to take the risk that she was, indeed, pregnant, by allowing Kagome to take another test and see if the result was the same as the one before.

Relieved, Kagome hurried into her bedroom to find another test. Although she didn't think Sango wanted to be pregnant, she was only 16. She couldn't raise a baby! She could barely clean up after her cat back home. This test, she thought, will clear my mind of this problem…

Thirty minutes later, Kagome shrieked as she saw the results of her second pregnancy test.

"I'm pregnant, I'm pregnant, I'm pregnant!" she cried out, slamming her fist on the table. Then, with a sob, she put her head in her hands, and wept for herself.

Sango expression became one of worry, and she rushed over to her friend's side, and took Kagome's hands in hers.

"Don't worry," Sango comforted. "I'm sure being a mother won't be too hard, especially with Inuyasha as the father. I don't think he will be upset by the news…"

"Th-that's the thing!" Kagome sobbed, not daring to show her face to her friend.

Sango listened, but nothing could prepare her for what Kagome was about to say.

"I've never had sex with him!" Kagome cried. "Inuyasha is not the father!"

In a small village just west of where Kagome and Inuyasha lived, a man was watching impatiently as a boy fumbled with his hand, tracing the lines along his palm with his eyes closed in silence.

"Miroku!" the boy's companion cried. "What's taking so long? Just do the reading so we can go, already!"

"Shh," Miroku whispered to his friend. "Shippo, a monk's work is a very delicate process. I must tap into my spiritual powers in order to determine the sickness that this elder may yield. It could take hours, even days!"

"I don't have days," the old man snapped at the young monk gruffly. "I'm not getting any younger, so just make your assessment, already!

Miroku sighed, and then put the man's hand down. He wasn't used to reading men, since he didn't particularly enjoy spending time with them. All the women of this town seemed to think he was undesirable, however, and they didn't warm up to his charms and his soft touching of their behinds.

'_Oh well',_ Miroku had thought, '_maybe he'll have better luck in another town.'_

"I have determined," Miroku announced, rising to his feet before the town elder. "That you may die someday soon."

The elder gasped. "What?" he asked, looking terrified. "How soon?"

Miroku shrugged. "It may be months," he guessed. "It may be years; it may be days; it may be minutes."

The elder hesitated, and then said, in a blank voice, "So, you're telling me that, for sure, I'm going to die someday?"

Miroku nodded seriously. "Yes. That's exactly what I'm telling you. If you provided me with more money, perhaps I could give you some more insight into—"

"Miroku, watch out!" Shippo cried. The young fox demon quickly leaped from the floor onto Miroku's face, and the young monk stumbled backward onto the ground, hitting it with his hands just as the old man threw a punch into the air.

"_GET OUT OF MY HOME!_" the old man screamed.

"I think we'd better do as he tells us!" Shippo exclaimed, and he scrambled to the door of the hut. Miroku grabbed his staff and quickly followed, not daring to turn back and see why his client had reacted so hostilely. His question was answered, however, when the old man roared, "You horrible fraud! I never want to see you again, you hear?"

Once Miroku and Shippo were safely embedded deep within the nearby forest, Miroku exclaimed, "_FRAUD?_ How can he say that after the reading I just made? Clearly, I possess great spiritual powers! Don't you think so, Shippo?"

Shippo's cringed, and he felt rather uneasy. "Well…"

Miroku sighed. "Just say it, Shippo. I'm terrible at my job, aren't I?"

Shippo shrugged. "I think so, Miroku! I mean, even I could have told you that the elder will die SOME day, and I'm just alittle fox demon!"

Miroku sat on the soft earth, looking defeated. "I know," he said. "It just seems as though my spiritual self is somehow worried or anxious, so I can't perform my duties as a monk… or otherwise."

Shippo hesitated, then understood, and rolled his eyes. "Oh, you mean with the ladies," he muttered.

Miroku nodded sadly. "Yes. It seems as though they do not want to be near me, let alone be grabbed by my loving hands." He heaved a great sigh and mumbled, "I miss our friends, Shippo."

Shippo's face fell, and he nodded, as well. "So do I, Miroku."

About two months ago, the group had separated. Sango had left with Kirara to take care of some "personal business"; Miroku and Shippou had traveled and tried to make ends meet; and Inuyasha and Kagome, no longer keeping their feelings for each other a secret, had settled together in a hut not very far from the village in which Miroku and Shippo were now.

While they had been traveling, Miroku hadoffered his services as a Monk to people he met, trying to make money for food and other necessities. However, he wasn't doing very well as of late…

"Hey, I know!" Shippo exclaimed. "Maybe we can go visit Inuyasha and Kagome, and stay with them for a little while?"

Miroku's heart skipped a beat, and he felt pale.

Shippo squeaked. "What's wrong, Miroku?" he asked. "You just said that you miss them!"

"I know," Miroku said, struggling to speak clearly. "But…"

"But what?" Shippo asked curiously.

''_But what' indeed…_' Miroku thought.

Less than two months ago, the group had stopped at a small village for a massive celebratory feast upon an encounter with a dangerous enemy. The rich feast had included lots of wine, which the team had decided to enjoy.

"Don't mind if I do," Miroku had said when a pretty young woman had brought the wine to their table.

"But Miroku, isn't wine bad for you?" Sango had asked.

"Not in moderation," Miroku shrugged. "You should try some, Sango. It's really quite good."

"Hmm…" Sango said, biting her lip in indecision. Finally, she succumbed to the temptation, and had asked the young lady for some wine herself.

"And for you?" the young lady had asked Inuyasha and Kagome.

"None for me," Inuyasha had replied gruffly. "That stuff reeks."

"I'm too young," Kagome had muttered.

"Nonsense!" Miroku had smiled brightly. "Enjoy the taste!" He sipped some of the violet liquid, and a flush broke onto his face. "It is grape flavored, an excellent selection!"

Kagome cocked an eyebrow in uncertainty. "Miroku, that stuff seems strong. Are you sure—"

"Nonsense," Sango blushed, having drank a little bit of the wine herself. "It's just a little… _strung…_"

Kagome giggled at Sango's slurred speech. She then turned to the waitress, and said, "Okay, I'll have some too, please."

"Yes," the waitress nodded, then hurried off to get some more wine.

Inuyasha grunted, then got to his feet. "C'mon, Shippo. Let's go before these guys get _really_ strange."

"You mean they can be _stranger_?" Shippo teased, jumping up to follow his friend. Kirara, who had been curled in a ball by Shippo's feet, got up, too, and trotted behind him. They left the small restaurant, leaving Miroku and the two girls behind.

About forty minutes passed after that, and the three friends were now as drunk as the characters of Cheers. No matter what they said, one of them would laugh at it. Red was starting to feel like their faces' natural skin color. Best of all, Kagome thought, was the fact that she could say anything she wanted…

"Inuyasha has the cutest butt," she said to Sango, giggling. This earned a burst of laughter. Miroku, however, shuddered in disgust.

"How can you think of men that way?" he questioned. "It's… practically morbid."

Sango leaned in close to Miroku and fluttered her eyelashes. "Oh, and I suppose you don't want us to find_you_ attractive, either?

Miroku instantly blushed. "I—I didn't say that," he protested.

Sango brought a finger to his cheek, and then smiled wickedly. "Whatever you say, Monk." With that, she rose to her feet, and nearly stumbled. She managed to regain her composure, however, and turned to Kagome with a dazed look in her eyes.

"I'm gonna go take a nap-py now," she slurred. Kagome nodded, then Sango stumbled out of the restaurant. Now, it was only Kagome and Miroku left in the building.

"So, Miroku," Kagome smiled. "Are you ever… gonna ask Sango out?"

Miroku's eyes widened with surprise. "I… uh… S-Sango?"

Kagome nodded again. "Yes, Sango. You_DO_ have a crush on her, right?"

Miroku fell silent for a few moments, and then spoke. "Kagome, I am a… man with needs. I enjoy the company… company of m-many women…"

Kagome laughed.

Finally, Miroku got to his feet, and managed to stay there. "I gotta go…" he groaned. "I think I'm gonna be sick…"

Kagome took one last sip of wine, then followed suite and got up, too. She swayed, but did not fall. "Me too," she groaned. The two teenagers both took slow, wavering steps toward the front door.

About three feet away from the door, the rush of alcohol in her body finally hit Kagome. She felt as though she was floating for one, mysterious moment, but then grogginess took a hold over her. With an incoherent squeak, she stumbled and fell forward.

Miroku heard the squeak, and, without a thought, turned around and held out his arms. He had no idea why he had responded to Kagome's fall so quickly, but she fell straight into his arms, hitting her nose squarely on his chest. They stayed like that for a moment, standing awkwardly in the now-empty restaurant.

"Uh… too much… alcohol," Kagome mumbled.

Miroku paused. Finally, he took Kagome's arms gingerly in his hands, and while he held her, they walked out of the restaurant together.

As soon as they stepped outside, a sharp gust of wind held them, and Miroku felt his balance waver. The ground was damp and soft, since it had rained earlier. Immediately to their right and left sides were trenches in the ground, which stairs had been built upon to lead into the restaurant. The sky had cast shadows over everything, and almost nothing was visible anymore. With a squeak that almost mimicked Kagome's, Miroku fell to the right, bringing Kagome down with him.

Kagome landed first, on her back, on the soft ground. Miroku landed on top of her. They were now in the trench, and it was going to be difficult to get out of it, at least for two drunken youths.

Immediately, the two burst into laughter. It somehow struck them as funny that they had landed in _this_ position.

Finally, Kagome's eyes went wide, and she stared at Miroku in disbelief. He blushed nervously, because something that belonged to him was now pressing up against her through the fabric of his robes. Something… firm.

Kagome and Miroku were silent. Finally, Kagome noticed something about Miroku she had never really seen before. In his face, in his deep, deep eyes, behind the lecherous grin and perverted glances—there was something soft and gentle, wise beyond his years.

"You're cute…" Kagome mumbled, without realizing it. The effect was almost instantaneous—Miroku's lips melted into hers for her first real kiss. A muffled sound escaped from her, as she felt his hands sloppily tug at her clothes. She realized that Miroku was drunk, and probably didn't know what he was doing…

…but she didn't care. _'I've always wondered what it feels like,'_ Kagome thought then, her judgment obviously affected by the alcohol. '_So, why not find out right now, right here, with Miroku?'_

…

"…But what?" Shippo asked curiously, looking suspicious.

Miroku paused, then shrugged. "Nothing," he lied. With that, he stepped forward, closer to the town. "Come," he said to Shippo. "I'm sure if I hide behind a tree, you could ask some people for directions to Inuyasha and Kagome's residence." The two walked ahead, ready to go see their friends for the first time in weeks...

_THE END!_

**_Author's Note_**: Hey, readers! This is certainly a twist, huh? I was worried that this change in events would throw some people off, and I'm hoping this isn't the case. Trust me, I will not let Kagome and Miroku become a couple. However, they have a baby to think about now, so it should be pretty interesting to see how that plays out! And how will Sango, Inuyasha, and Shippou react to this news? P.S., Kirara will not be showing up any time soon. Please be patient; she will probably appear between chapter 10 and chapter 17. She has been up to some pretty interesting stuff, actually... wink


	3. A Baby For Your Thoughts

"Bundle of Joy"

An Inuyasha fanfic

By Paperkut98

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Inuyasha. I am making no profit off of this story. You may not reproduce this fanfic without the permission of the author. Thank you.

Chapter Three :

"The Secret"

"Hey, I'm home!" came Inuyasha's voice, just before Kagome was about to digress the name of her new baby's father to Sango. The two girls quickly darted up out of their chairs, and stood in front of the table in order to block the pregnancy tests from Inuyasha. The half-demon didn't even notice, however, and merely walked past the girls, into the bedroom.

"Uh… hello," Kagome squeaked. Seeing Inuyasha so suddenly after realizing she was pregnant wasn't giving her the best feeling in the world—especially since he wasn't even the father of her new baby.

"Hmm?" Inuyasha asked, barely listening as he pawed through a drawer in the small bedroom, looking for something or other. "Kagome, speak up. I can't hear you."

"H-Hello!" Kagome said a little louder, forcing herself to sound more collected. If she acted nervously, he would know that something was up. She had to be calm and cool, at least until she figured out when and how she would tell Inuyasha about the baby. Besides, she already knew that it was going to be difficult enough just to tell Sango about the father. Who knew what _Inuyasha_, of all people, would do if he found that Miroku was the one who had impregnated her?

"I'm going for a bath," Inuyasha said blankly, leaving the bedroom and heading towards the door again. He barely even looked at Kagome as he walked past her—if he had, he would have known that something was wrong, merely by the look in her eyes.

Kagome, snapped out of her thoughts, quickly forced a small smile. "Yeah, see you, Inuyasha!"

Inuyasha nodded gruffly to the two women, and then he stepped outdoors again, shutting the door behind him. Kagome let a huge sigh of relief escape from her, once Inuyasha had disappeared from the hut. Sango eyed Kagome, feeling concerned.

"Kagome, I can tell," Sango said softly. "Something besides your pregnancy is bothering you. What is it you need to say—?"

"Well, if it isn't Miroku!" came Inuyasha's surprised, booming voice, traveling all the way back into the hut from outside. "And a little runt, too!"

"Hey!" Kagome heard Shippo squeal. "I am not a runt! You take that back!"

"Calm yourself, Shippo," Miroku said in his calm, relaxed voice. "He's only teasing you because he's happy to see you."

"Yeah, whatever," Inuyasha snapped back.

Kagome's eyes immediately widened in shock and terror. Sango, however, gasped in delight, and raced for the door.

"Miroku and Shippo are here!" she said to Kagome once she reached the door. She looked at her friend inquisitively. "Aren't you going to come say hello? Seeing them might make you feel better."

Kagome practically didn't even hear what her friend was saying. She was too caught up in her own terror at the sudden bad timing of events. "Er—no, I'm going to stay here and think a little bit more," she stammered.

Sango's face fell. Words couldn't describe how badly she wished that she could make Kagome feel better about the whole pregnancy thing, but she knew that she couldn't solve Kagome's problems all by herself. "O.K., Kagome. We'll talk later." She didn't feel like leaving Kagome all by herself, but she couldn't help it. If she stayed behind, the others would know something was wrong. Besides, she had to admit it—seeing Miroku after so much time apart was going to be nice!

Sango raced off to see the boys, and Kagome sat down. She felt… sick.

'This can't be happening,' Kagome thought. 'I'm pregnant by a man I don't even love, and it's going to affect everyone I care about!'

Her head felt dizzy as she thought of all the bad things that were bound to happen. 'Inuyasha will leave me, that's for sure! And he'll be _so_ mad at Miroku! That monk is dead if Inuyasha gets his hands on him!'

That brought up a couple of other dilemmas. 'And what about Miroku? If he finds out that I'm actually pregnant with his child, how will he react? Will he even want to raise a baby, and with me, of all people? Do I even want to raise a baby?'

The final stab to Kagome's racing heart came with this thought: 'And what about poor Sango? She'll never want to talk to me again… and here she is, being such a good friend to me, when I've slept with the guy that she likes! Oh, why is this happening to me?'

Kagome buried her head in her hands and felt hot tears fall from her eyes, just as the door came open and the sound of laughter and joyful conversation filled the room. As quickly as she could, Kagome darted out of her chair, and raced past the newcomers. She moved so quickly that her friends didn't even have the chance to see her tearful face.

"Geez, Kagome, where are you going?" Inuyasha exclaimed, as the girl zoomed past him.

Kagome quickly thought up an excuse. "I left clothes at the river when I was washing them!" she mumbled, just before she ran out the door.

'I need a good cry,' Kagome thought sadly. 'But I can't do it here!'

For the next hour, Kagome sat by the clear, blue lake, and just let herself cry. It felt good to let go of her emotions like that, and when she had finished, she didn't feel as shocked or bewildered as before. However, she still felt a very overwhelming amount of fear.

So many thoughts were running through her mind—would Inuyasha dump her? Could she raise a baby? What would her mother say? What would Miroku do?

'How could I let this happen?' Kagome kept demanding herself, over and over. 'I thought I knew better than to have sex with strangers!'

However, she knew that Miroku definitely wasn't a stranger. He was a nice guy, if not lecherous or bold. She could at least trust the fact that he was likely to support her with the baby. On the other hand, this complicated things—if the baby was a male, then he would be cursed with the same Wind Tunnel that was doomed to kill Miroku. She didn't know if she could handle this fact or not.

'Well, it's too early to start thinking about what the baby will be like,' Kagome thought. 'I need to figure out my own life first. No matter what, I will not let this baby be born to a mother who can't possibly take care of it. I'll put it up for adoption, if I have to, but…'

She hated to admit it, but she knew that she had to at least try to prepare herself for raising a baby. She owed it to the child to try her absolute best to give it a good life.

As she looked out over the serene, calm lake, reflecting the mid-afternoon's dying Sun overhead, she thought, 'I'm having a baby….. I can't believe it.'

When Kagome returned to her cabin, she was pleasantly surprised to see that everyone, in her absence, had set about making dinner. The rich aroma of hot, fluffy rice bathed in a thick, spicy barbecue sauce (a recipe all but patented by Kagome's own mother, and passed down to her only daughter to be picked up by her friends), all under a blanket of crisp, fresh veggies instantly struck Kagome's nose as she walked into the cabin.

Miroku looked up from his place at the table, where he was waiting while Sango scooped some of the delicious mixture into a bowl placed before him. "Ah, Kagome! I see you're back. Did you retrieve the clothes you were searching for?"

Kagome cringed. 'Oh, the clothes! That's right, I told them that I was going to find some laundry…' The girl quickly managed to recover—"Oh, they were still wet, so I'm letting them dry some more!"

"I don't remember you doing any laundry today," Inuyasha muttered as Sango moved from serving Miroku to serving him.

"Uh…" was Kagome's best response. 'O.K., time for a subject change.' Kagome thought to herself. She quickly cast her attention to Sango. "Sango, you don't have to serve dinner! You're a guest! Sit down, so I can do some work."

Kagome walked over to Sango and took the pan of rice stir-fry from her hands.

"It's O.K.," Sango assured her. "I really don't mind."

"Don't be silly!" Kagome said, faking some zeal as she started to put food into Shippo's bowl. "'Guests shouldn't do housework', that's what my Mom always says!"

"Too bad," Inuyasha grinned. "Shippo was going to do the housecleaning for you tomorrow, Kagome."

"Was not!"

"Oh, Inuyasha," Kagome smiled. "Stop teasing Shippo, would you? No arguments at the dinner table!"

"Alright," Inuyasha grumbled.

"Wow, this looks really good!" Kagome said, looking at the dinner that her friends had prepared. She was now serving Sango's bowl.

"Thank you," Miroku smiled. "We used your own secret recipe. I hope you don't mind."

"You sure put it to good use!" Kagome smiled back. "Although, I hope you didn't let Inuyasha get near it. He'd probably end up burning everything!"

"Hey!" Inuyasha protested.

Kagome gave him a playful smirk, and he cooled down, seeing the teasing look in her eyes.

Now that everybody had food, they all raised their chopsticks, prepared to eat.

"First," Miroku interrupted. "We should give thanks for what we are about to receive."

"Yes, of course," Sango nodded in agreement. "We're lucky to all be together for this meal."

"I wish Kirara were here, too, though," Shippo said. "She'd eat all of the broccoli, and I hate it!"

"Broccoli is good for you, Shippo!" Kagome said.

"I don't like it!" Shippo whined. "It tastes bad!"

"Weren't we giving thanks?" Inuyasha reminded everyone.

"Oh, yeah!" Miroku remembered. He then put his hands together, and prayed. "Thank you for this food, and for all of us being together, and for… anything else, you guys?"

Nobody responded.

"Then let's eat!" Miroku beamed. Everyone picked up their chopsticks again and started to dig in, occasionally murmuring some praise for the delicious meal.

As they ate, Kagome occasionally watched Inuyasha—it was true. He really did eat like an animal. But he was still perfect in her eyes. He was caring; strong; spirited, and best of all, he loved her.

'But will he still love me when he finds out about the baby?' Kagome thought. With that, she chewed a piece of broccoli, thoughtfully. Finally, she reached a conclusion:

'Shippo is right. Broccoli really is gross.'

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Well, that's chapter 3! I dedicate it to my friend, VegetasPrincess, who really helped me out with some aspects of the story. As you can see, Kagome is trying to get herself ready to tell people about the pregnancy, and she's already taking responsibility for getting pregnant in the first place. In the next chapter, lots of stuff is going, and the story's drama is going to be taking a turn for the serious. Please read and review this chapter, and keep tuned for number four! I promise, you won't be disappointed….

Paperkut98


	4. The Bag That Holds the Cat

"A Bundle of Joy"

An Inuyasha fanfic

By Paperkut98

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Inuyasha. I am making no profit off of this story. You may not reproduce this fanfic without the permission of the author. Thank you.

Chapter Four :

"The Bag Which Holds the Cat"

That night, after a delicious dinner, plus a couple of hours spent talking to her friends about the past few weeks apart, Kagome had trouble sleeping—to say the least.

'_Here I am, in a bed with a guy I love, and we've been able to keep it innocent for weeks!'_ Kagome thought, feeling furious at herself. '_Why did I have to go and sleep with Miroku?'_

Kagome knew, for certain, that she didn't love the monk. She certainly hoped that he would want to be a part of the baby's life, but she would have to decline to him if he proposed marriage. Kagome's heart belonged to Inuyasha, and if she couldn't be with him, she would rather be lonely and miserable.

However, that thought wasn't very comforting. Inuyasha was bound to leave her when he found out about her discrepancy. '_For God's sake, I'm the first woman he's loved in 50 years!'_ Kagome thought angrily. 'He finally trusts me, and I've blew it!'

Suddenly, a low voice interrupted her mental ranting. "Kagome, get some sleep, would ya?" Inuyasha mumbled, only barely awake.

Kagome blushed, embarrassed. "I'm sorry. I'm just… er, so excited to have our friends here!"

"Yeah," Inuyasha muttered. "Well, you can see them in the morning." He then chuckled. "Now come here." With that, he inched closer to her, and put his arms around her tense body. With just a touch, Kagome felt her worried heart skip a beat. On any average day, she loved Inuyasha hugging her, but now… well, it just made her feel even guiltier than she already did.

Kagome laid her head on her boyfriend's shoulder as he held her, feeling himself drift away again. Despite his warm touch, Kagome still couldn't seem to relax. She just felt so… awful.

_'I don't deserve him,'_ she thought sadly.

_The next day,_ Sango awoke bright and early, hoping to catch Kagome before the others were up. She had felt terrible letting Kagome be alone the night before. She could only imagine how ashamed Kagome felt keeping her secret, and she wanted to make sure the younger girl knew she had her as friend, if she needed to talk some more. So, Sango prepared to walk into the house and speak with Kagome, one on one.

Instead, she walked in to find Inuyasha sitting at the table, playing a small, blue Gameboy.

"I-Inuyasha!" Sango stammered, surprised to see him there instead of Kagome. "Uh… aren't you up a little early?"

Inuyasha shrugged. "Same time as you, Sango."

Sango nervously bit her lower lip. Inuyasha seemed strange now, acting so calm while there was a huge secret lurking around him. She forced herself to stay relaxed, though, and sat down at the opposite end of the table, watching him as he punched button after button on his Gameboy.

He glanced at her again from the screen of the toy, and said, "In case you're looking for Kagome, she went down to the lake to get washed."

"Oh," Sango said, nodding in response. She then glanced at the device, and asked, "Isn't that the toy that Kagome brought with her from 'The Present', Inuyasha?"

He nodded. "Yeah, it's a block puzzle game. You have to make rows to score points. It's hard, but I've gotten pretty good at it!"

Sango looked impressed. "I had no idea that those devices were used for gaining intelligence!"

Inuyasha shrugged. "Souta just said it's good for killing time before he gave it to me as a gift. He may be kinda bratty, but Sota's a good kid. I like hanging out with him."

Sango smiled playfully. "Inuyasha, a brother figure? How cute!"

Inuyasha growled, and his ears twitched in embarrassment. Sango only laughed.

A few moments passed, then Inuyasha gasped in alarm.

"What's wrong?" Sango asked in alert.

Inuyasha pouted. "I lost the game!"

Suddenly, the door opened, and Kagome stepped inside. As soon as Sango saw her face, her heart broke. Kagome had just been crying again—she could tell by the pink, puffy look in her eyes. Luckily for Kagome, her eyes were nowhere near as telling as they had been a few minutes ago, but Sango could still tell that she had been bawling.

Kagome forced a small smile, and managed to squeak out, "Good morning, you two!"

Sango bit her lower lip for a second, then replied, "Good morning, Kagome. C-could I see you outside for a second, please?"

Inuyasha's attentions drifted from the game to his girlfriend as she immediately went out through the door with Sango, and then firmly shut the door behind her.

'Girls will be girls,' he thought, and then went back to examining the Gameboy's screen.

Outside, it was mildly chilly, with the hint of a cold breeze in the air. Sango faced Kagome, looking firm yet caring, and asked gingerly, "Kagome, were you crying again?"

Kagome looked, rolled her eyes, and bitterly muttered, "Yes."

Sango frowned. "Kagome, I'm sorry I couldn't have spoken to you last night. It's just that we didn't have a chance, what with Miroku and Shippou showing up."

"It's okay," Kagome muttered sheepishly. She was grateful that Sango cared for her, but she felt as if she was being pitied. It certainly wasn't right for Sango to pity her, especially after Kagome had slept with Miroku…

"Yesterday, you were about to tell me the name of your baby's father," Sango reminded Kagome. She heard Kagome take a sharp intake of breath, and then Sango dared to ask the question, "Who is it?"

Kagome looked up at Sango with wide, horrified eyes. 'Was I actually going to tell her?' she thought to herself. '_Wow, I mustn't have been thinking clearly! I can't tell Sango that Miroku made me pregnant! At least, not yet… She deserves to know, but Ishould tell Miroku first. _That's_ for sure._'

"Kagome?" Sango asked, looking worried about her younger friend. "It's okay, really. I'm your friend, you can tell me who the father is!"

"It's not that," Kagome blushed, embarrassed and ashamed of having to hide the truth from her best friend. Every time she saw Sango now, she knew that a feeling of guilt was going to make her feel sick. '_Oh well,'_ she thought. '_Better to wait until the time is right to tell her, instead of blurting it out now.'_

"I know I can trust you, Sango," Kagome continued, feeling more and more awkward by the second. "But I just think that the father should be the first to know about things. Do you understand?"

Sango smiled uncertainly. "I can understand that, I suppose… but if you ever need a shoulder to lean on, I'll be here for you, Kagome. It's not like I have any leads on Kohaku right now, so I can stay here at the house for at least a few months."

Kagome smiled, and felt tears rush to her eyes. She then embraced Sango, hugging her with all her might.

"Oh, Sango, you're my best friend!" she cried, letting her tears flow freely. Sango smiled gingerly, and hugged her back.

'_I can't believe Sango is sacrificing time that she could be spending looking for her little brother, Kohaku, just to help me out!'_ Kagome thought, feeling bittersweet. She felt worse knowing that Sango was sacrificing her search for Kohaku to help her out, while Kagome was keeping a dirty secret from her. However, it also gave her hope. It meant that Sango truly was a great friend, and maybe when she learned of Miroku being the father, she wouldn't be too upset.

Boy, was Kagome wrong.

_About two days later_, Kagome had finally built up enough nerve to come out to Miroku about the baby. She only had to search for a few minutes until she found Miroku, up high in a tree, slouching on a long, sturdy branch. It was a warm day, a little humid, but not bad, nevertheless. Kagome felt strong today—not brave, but at least gutsy enough to reveal her secret to Miroku. Kagome had decided enough was enough. The last week had been way too stressful for her. She needed to tell at least one more person about her pregnancy, and hope that all went well.

So, Kagome took a few shaky steps towards the base of the old oak, looked up at Miroku, and stammered, "M-Miroku?"

Miroku sighed softly up in the tree, his eyes closed and a light grin playing out on his face. "Yes, Kagome?" After a moment, the Monk opened his eyes, and peered down at the girl who spoke to him. Once he saw the nervous look on her face, he frowned. "You don't look so well, Kagome… is there something wrong?"

"Uh…," Kagome mumbled. '_Oh boy, wait until he hears this…!'_ She waited a few more moments, trying to figure out exactly how to tell him her secret. She wanted to pick her words carefully, so as to--

"I hope you don't feel too uncomfortable around me," Miroku said, staring sagely at the sky. Kagome's eyes widened as he continued, "Just because we shared a night of passion, doesn't mean we can't still be friends."

Kagome's eyebrow twitched. '_Geez, he thinks that was passion? We were both drunk!'_

Miroku continued, "It's a wonderful thing when two people can have so much enjoyment in such a beautiful way, and then there be lasting repercussions. Don't you agree, Kagome?"

Then it came out. "Miroku, I'm pregnant!" Kagome blurted.

Miroku's eyes widened, and the last of his breath escaped from his lips. His vision momentarily swam in shock and confusion, and he could've swore that his heart stopped beating, for at least a couples of seconds.

'_Oh great, Kagome!'_ she thought to herself bitterly, biting her lower lip in dismay. '_Just scream it out, why don't you! Look at him! He looks like he's having a heart attack!'_

"Miroku?" Kagome asked, nervously. Her voice was now coming out as barely more than a whisper. "A-a-are you O.K.?"

"Oh…" Miroku said softly, unaware of what was happening around him. He looked catatonic, or perhaps brain-dead. Kagome briefly wondered if she had killed Miroku, but as soon as he blinked, she knew that he was OK—well, sort of.

"Y-you're pregnant?" Miroku managed to say. He sounded as calm as usual, but Kagome could tell by his pronunciation of the sentence that he wasn't calm at all. It came out more as a statement, with blankness as its emotion, instead of a question.

Kagome nodded, feeling uneasy. "Uh—yes." Miroku was staring at into space, like a little kid who had just learned that Santa doesn't exist. The look in his eyes was so lifeless, so shocked, that she couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt in her chest for having told him in the first place.

'_I could have eased into it!'_ Kagome mentally snapped at herself. '_But nooo, my big mouth just has to yell it out like a complete moron!'_

Finally, Miroku glanced at Kagome, a shimmer of hope in his eyes. "Is it my child?"

Kagome's lip trembled. "Yes, Miroku, it's both of ours." Miroku's sparkle of hope disappeared as quickly as it had arrived, and, before Kagome knew it, he jumped down from the tree, and turned away from her.

"Kagome, forgive me… I-I have to go. Meditate, you know."

Kagome's jaw dropped, and the Monk raced off.

'_Damn,'_ Kagome mentally cursed. She then realized that the lump in her throat was still there, a product of the anxiety and fear she was feeling, and she suddenly felt very angry.

"_DAMN!"_ she bursted out.

AUTHOR'S NOTE

Hey, everybody! Thanks for reading my new chapter.I wanted to edit it further, butI know you've all been waiting for this for too long already. Sorry for the wait! Anyways, with Miroku knowing about the baby, Sango curious about the father, and Inuyasha being a Gameboy whiz thrown into the mix, how will Kagome's ordeal turn out? Will Miroku opt to be there for her? Or will he characteristically run away from this major responsibility…? Find out about Miroku's decision in the next chapter of "_A Bundle of Joy" _!

Seeya!

Paperkut-98


	5. Is This My Dream?

"A Bundle of Joy"

An _InuYasha_ fanfic

By Paperkut-98

_Disclaimer:_ I do not own InuYasha, nor am I affiliated in any way with the franchise, except as a fan. I am making no profit from this story. This story may only be displayed on this website. Thank you!

Chapter 5

"_Is This My Dream?"_

Ever since Miroku was a child, he had been cursed. Not with the bittersweet Wind Tunnel on his right palm, which would one day devour him if he did not kill its creator, the fearsome demon called Naraku, but with an entirely different curse altogether.

Miroku _LOVED _women.

Of course, this was not a bad thing, entirely. Most men loved women, and a man and woman could not only make a family together, but fulfill each other's wishes and dreams until the day when they both finally died, happy to have spent their lives together and eagerly awaiting an after-life in each other's arms. No, loving women was not a bad thing at all. Loving them as much as Miroku did, however, was a very different story.

When he was younger, the monks at the temple in which he was raised would constantly scold him for his dirty comments about girls. They also told him that "One day, you will grow out of your infatuation with girls and realize there is more to life than them!". Miroku had even believed them, thinking that they were monks, so why would they lie to him?

Every waking moment would not pass without some kind of romantic thought about girls. Miroku was absolutely fascinated by the opposite gender. Everything about them—their soft skin, their lovely scents, their long lashes, their narrow waists, their slim necks, their long, beautiful hair, their high, yet soft voices, their full lips, their curves, and the variety of women in the world—enticed Miroku. He was a firm believer that no man could be perfect unless he had the perfect woman in his life… or maybe even several. Miroku saw no fault in loving many women at once, so he let every women he noticed that caught his attention know his desire: to gift her with his children and his devotion.

But now, Miroku saw the error of his ways.

The young monk walked briskly through the field, feeling his legs grow heavier with each step. He was searching for the perfect area to sit down and have a serious conversation with his conscience. The long, green grass tickled his ankles as he walked, and the small, cool breeze was enjoyable on the mild day. But Miroku had no intention of enjoying the weather. He felt WAAAAY too sick to enjoy the weather.

'_Why did I have to go and impregnate Kagome?'_ he thought angrily.

Out of all the times Miroku had asked a woman to "bear his child", he had never realized what kind of damage he could do. He thought that pregnancy was a beautiful thing, that it was his duty to reproduce in order to ensure that, in one generation or another, the evil demon, Naraku, would be killed. But now that he knew Kagome was pregnant… well, it had definitely changed his perspective on things.

First of all, Miroku had always thought that the mother of his children would be someone he would be in love with. He c_ertainly_ wasn't in love with Kagome. Of course, he liked her, but just as a friend. He could never, EVER imagine the two of them spending their lives together, because of so many reasons: he lived in the present, she was from the future; Kagome loved Inuyasha, and Inuyasha loved her back; Sango would be _**FURIOUS **_if she found out about Kagome being pregnant; and…

Well, that was it. There were probably other reasons why Miroku couldn't love Kagome, but those few reasons were enough for Miroku to know that it was in everybody's best interest if he and Kagome just stayed friends.

Miroku stopped walking. He had reached an area where the grass was shorter than usual, and where the Sun did not shine too strongly. It was the perfect spot for him to meditate in. Miroku placed his staff on the ground, then sat down, his knees folded and his eyes closed. He raised his hands, pressed them together firmly, and emptied his mind of all thoughts, except for his current situation.

'_The passion wasn't even that good,'_ Miroku thought, sadly. '_We were both too drunk to enjoy it… I don't even remember the details! Did Kagome like it? Did she…'_

Miroku cleared his throat loudly, dismissing the thought. '_Of course she liked it! I've thought about the moment so many times, I must be an expert by now!'_

'_Still, I wish…'_ Miroku felt his lips curl into a pout involuntarily. '_…I wish I had never done it.'_

Even if it wasn't a sin to conceive a child (in fact, Miroku believed it was one of the most beautiful things that a person could do), Miroku knew that he had damned his unborn child to a strange family situation. He or she would be born to an unwed mother, who didn't have any romantic ties to the child's father, and loved a half-demon with whom she may one day bare more children with. As for Miroku… well, this probably meant that his womanizing days were over. He had to set a good example for his child, and the big reveal of Kagome's pregnancy had taught him one very important thing--it is _not_ okay to treat women like items.

Miroku sighed. '_But how can I set a good example for my… Oh my goodness. MY child. I…'_

Miroku gritted his teeth, took a very deep breath, and felt a smile creep onto his face. '_I'm going to be… a father.'_

The thought was enough to pierce his doubts. Fatherhood was something he had always admired. He remembered his own father fondly, and he had always wanted to be like him. Now… that time was here. Miroku's mind was now made up.

'_I must stand by Kagome during her pregnancy,'_ he thought. '_And I will be sure to set a good example for… our child.'_

Miroku suddenly felt a rush of ecstasy come over him at this sudden revelation. He felt tears of pride and joy sting at his eyes, and his voice traveled through his throat like fireworks.

"I'M GOING TO BE A FA-!"

"MIROKU, NOT SO LOUD!" came a scared, surprised little voice.

Miroku jumped, his eyes darting open, and saw a very frightened-looking Shippo staring at him with wide, shocked eyes.

"Sh-Shippo?" Miroku gasped. "When did you get here?"

"Just a few seconds ago," Shippo grumbled, curling up on the ground with a yawn. "I was sleepy, so I came to my napping spot. But you're in my area!"

Miroku looked away, suppressing a smile. "Sorry, I just had… something on my mind."

Shippo rolled his eyes. "I figured. You sure yelled loud, Miroku. What were you trying to say?"

Miroku grinned. "Nothing, Shippo. Look, I have to go now. Enjoy your nap!"

Within the next ten minutes, Miroku was practically skipping on the grass, feeling like a million bucks.

'_Life is beautiful,'_ Miroku thought, grinning. '_Messy… but beautiful.'_

_The End!_

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Okay, okay, I know Miroku's final thought of the chapter is cheesy,but it but at least it conveys his feelings! He _really _wants to be there for Kagome's baby. However--_**trust me**-_-her pregnancy will not become simple. I mean, how is everybody going to react? _Especially _Inuyasha... Anyways, please keep reading, and I will continue to update! Bye!


	6. Half Demons Say the Darnedest Things!

"A Bundle of Joy"

An _InuYasha_ fanfic

By Paperkut-98

_Disclaimer_: I do not own _InuYasha,_ nor am I affiliated with the InuYasha franchise. I am making no profit from this story. You may not reproduce this fanfic without the permission of the author. Thank you.

PS, This chapter is dedicated to the best reviewer a writer could ever hope for, Whimsy! You rock, so please keep reviewing my work! (Paperkut-98)

Chapter 6:

_"Half-Demons Say the Darnedest Things…"_

It was the first time Kagome had felt good for a while.

"Oh, Miroku, thank you!" she squealed, as she eagerly wrapped her arms around the handsome monk. He smiled, and did not even attempt to grab her ass.

"It's no big deal, Kagome," he said. "This child belongs to both of us. I could never let you go through this all on your own."

Kagome beamed. For the first time in weeks, she felt… unburdened. Even though she still had many more obstacles ahead of her, she now knew that her child would have a loving father, which made things seem _much _better. Also, the fact that Miroku was accepting of the pregnancy gave her hope. Perhaps, since he was okay with it, Sango and Inuyasha could be too?

'_I'll find out soon enough,_' Kagome thought, '_but even if the thought is naïve, at least now I get to have a little bit of hope…_'

Later that day, Kagome found herself sitting at the dining table inside her cabin, listening to one of Shippou's tall tales about rescuing a village from demons while Miroku was busy "entertaining" the village's ladies.

"The demon was THIS big, and had teeth like daggers!" Shippou exclaimed, waving his hands around as he illustrated his story to Kagome."It had a big, spiked tail, and roared really loud, like my stomach does when I'm hungry! And it could breathe fire, and fly, andtornadoes came out of its nostrils, and—"

"What a stupid story!" Inuyasha snapped. Kagome's eyes widened, and she jumped in her seat in a startled panic.

"Inuyasha!" she exclaimed, jolted out of her mindless, half-asleep daze. Listening to Shippou's fake stories made her a little sleepy…

Inuyasha looked bemused. "Geez, Kagome! You look like you're sick or something! What's got you so pale?"

Kagome felt a chill go down her spine. Because she had been half-asleep while listening to Shippo's story, she hadn't been focusing on the baby for a while. Now, with Inuyasha nearby, Kagome couldn't stop thinking about it once again.

"N-nothing," she lied. "I was just a little bit… asleep, that's all."

"You were?" Shippou cried, looking hurt from his place standing on the dining table, in his three-foot tall glory of antics and battle moves. "But I was just reaching the good part of my story!"

Kagome smiled to her small friend. "I know, it's just that you… uh, you told me this story before! Yesterday, remember?"

Shippou scratched his head, frowning in puzzlement. "I did? Gee, Kagome, I kinda forget what I did with you yesterday…"

"Next you killed the demon, right?" Kagome suggested, hoping she had guessed the right ending to the story. If she had chosen wrongly, then Shippou might get upset, and Kagome would feel bad…

"Oh, yeah!" Shippou said excitedly. "You were listening, after all!"

Kagome relaxed. '_Phew! Good thing Inuyasha got here, or I would have to sit through more of Shippou's ridiculous story…_'

"Hey, why don't you go talk to Sango and Miroku outside?" Inuyasha suddenly asked, addressing Shippou.

Kagome's heartbeat sped up. '_What the...? He wants to be alone? With me?_'

"Why?" Shippo asked him curiously.

"Because I need some time with Kagome," Inuyasha said. "So get out!"

Kagome felt fluttery. '_Oh no... He sounds upset... Oh no, what if he knows about the baby already?_'

Shippo smirked, and then leapt off the table. "Hee!" he giggled. "Inuyasha, I used to think you were so tough, but now you're just a big softy who wants to spend time with his girlfriend—"

"I said _SCRAM!_" Inuyasha snapped, silencing the youngster.Shippou whimpered, but quickly scurried out the door. Kagome's eyes narrowed at her lover.

"Inuyasha, you shouldn't be so mean to Shippou!" she scolded. "He was just teasing you!"

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "I know," he said, in a much gentler tone. He sat down across from Kagome, and said, "But if I let him get away with too much, it'll go straight to his head."

Kagome felt a smile force its way onto her face. '_Inuyasha acts rough, but Shippo is right. He's just a big softy… I hope he won't change his heart after I tell him about the baby, and Miroku being its father. It's taken Inuyasha so long just to get a decent level of trust and respect for me. I wouldn't be able to forgive if I'm responsible for scarring him once again…'_

The thought made Kagome feel disgusted. She forced the thought out of her head and focused instead on Inuyasha, who was now sitting across from her, looking concerned.

"Kagome," Inuyasha said very softly. "We need to talk."

Kagome felt her stomach do a flip-flop, and the feelings of fear and horror resurfaced faster than a bullet could fly.

'_Does he know about the baby? Does he KNOW? Did Sango tell him? Did Miroku tell him? Miroku isn't THAT stupid, is he? Inuyasha would have KILLED him! But… What if Inuyasha knows? What if he's going to break up with me right now?'_

"U-U-uh…" Kagome stuttered. "U—um…" She felt a small croak escape her throat, and she feebly forced herself to ask, "What about?"

Inuyasha lowered his eyes. '_So it's worse than I thought! Kagome looks really upset right now…'_

"It's about you," Inuyasha said. He then did something unexpected: he placed his hands together on the table, and started to twiddle his thumbs, while he stared meekly at the table in detached interest.

Kagome froze. '_Oh damn! Inuyasha is actually acting nervous! H-he NEVER acts this way! This must mean he KNOWS! Oh God, oh please God, no…'_

"You seem… different, lately," Inuyasha finally said, in a blank, hushed voice. It seemed to Kagome that he was choosing his words very carefully before he murmured them—which made her all the more frightened.

Kagome felt her legs wobble. '_Oh no, oh no, oh no, oh no, oh no, oh no!'_

Inuyasha waited for a response from Kagome, but instead heard only silence. He coughed nervously, then cleared his throat, and forced himself to speak.

"I—I, um… I was just… j-just wondering…" Inuyasha was surprised to find that his own voice sounded weak and shaky. He cleared his throat again, and felt the lump in his throat become even worse. '_Man, I feel so self-conscious right now…'_

'_Say it, Inuyasha, come on, don't leave me hanging… What do you want to say to me?'_ Kagome's legs twitched fearfully, and the young girl suddenly felt cold. Goosebumps adorned her arms, and her eyes were wide, staring at her boyfriend. She didn't even DARE to blink.

'_This is ridiculous! I might as well just spit it out!'_ Inuyasha cleared his throat very loudly, shut his eyes, and forced himself to spit out the words.

"Kagome, are you in heat?"

Kagome's fear left like a popped balloon when the loud, booming question was asked.

"I—I mean… uh…!" Inuyasha stammered, his face reddening. The canine half-demon had been suspicious of Kagome for some time now. She smelled… different than usual. Her pheromones were rapidly shifting from intoxicating to nauseating. Inuyasha could only assume that she was experiencing some kind of sexual change, and it sort of concerned him… But he certainly hadn't meant to ask his question so forcefully!

'_Oh great, now she'll think I'm just like Miroku!'_

"A-am I in heat?" Kagome whispered, in a hushed, awestruck voice. Sex was a topic they had never even discussed before. It felt way past strange to be talking about it now, especially with all that was going on in her pregnant belly.

"Uh… you know… like a dog," Inuyasha spat out, before he could think the explanation through. He quickly realized his mistake, however, and his thumbs stopped. He looked up at Kagome's now-stony face and his mouth dropped in self-pity. The scarlet blush in his usually pale cheeks was just getting worse, and worse…

"Like a dog?" he heard Kagome growl, her eyes flashing with pure anger.

Inuyasha croaked out, "I mean, not like a dog! You're a human, of course! I mean… It's when a bitch gets all excited—"

Of course, Inuyasha hadn't meant "bitch" in the same context Kagome mistook it for. But… Well, Kagome mistook it, 'nuff said.

"**_SIT BOY!_**"

Meanwhile, outside, Miroku, Sango, and Shippo jumped slightly when they heard Kagome scream the two simple words, followed by a crash as half-demon struck wooden furniture and a hard floor.

"Wow!" Shippo exclaimed. "I guess being a couple doesn't change the fact that the two of them still fight!"

Miroku crossed his arms and over his face came a look of sagely wisdom. "On the contrary, Shippou. Being in love makes people fight _even more._"

Sango rolled her eyes. "Don't act like you know anything about love, Miroku."

Miroku smiled at her. "Actually, Sango, I think you'd be quite surprised. In fact, I happen to be looking for a life partner right now!"

Sango's eyes widened, and she looked absolutely incredulous.

Miroku looked puzzled. "Why are you so surprised?"

Actually, it was true that Miroku wanted to set a good example for his child by settling down with one woman to live happily, and in peace.

'_So why does Sango look so surprised?'_ Miroku wondered in puzzlement.

"_Y-you're _looking for a woman to spend your life with?" Sango exclaimed. "You?"

Miroku nodded, feeling embarrassed. "Yes…. Is there a problem with that?"

Sango stared at Miroku, then turned to Shippou. She said,while suppressing a burst of laughter, "Wow! It really seems like Miroku has really changed into a respectable man!"

Shippou smiled. Soon,the two friends had burst into laughter.

Before Miroku could protest, Sango exclaimed, "I really wish we could stay to find out how this turns into another one of your cheesy pick-up lines, but…" She turned to Shippou and smiled, "Come on, Shippou! Let's leave before Miroku's lechery can ruin our day!"

Shippou giggled, and scampered after his female friend, who was now hurryingaway. "Good idea! Bye, Miroku!"

Miroku's mouth became an "O", and he watched as his two friends pranced off through the grass, giggling as they teasingly ran away from him.

'_But it's true!'_ Miroku sadly thought.

Inside the cabin, Inuyasha was still glued to the floor, grimacing and hot with anger, as Kagome towered over him. The girl had stood up from her seat and was clenching her fists, gritting her teeth, and glaring daggers at her poor boyfriend.

"What did you do THAT for?" Inuyasha cried out, rubbing his newly bruised left shoulder in pain.

Kagome gritted her teeth harder. "Let me tell you something, Inuyasha!" she practically screamed. "I am NOBODY'S bitch! And if you don't treat me with more respect, I'll—I'll…!"

Yet, Kagome couldn'tfinish her sentence. '_Why should I dare to preach about respect?'_ she thought, shocked by her mistake of forcing Inuyasha to the floor. '_I'm the one who cheated on him with Miroku...'_

Anger was placed by the all too familiar shame that came with Kagome's unexpected pregnancy. She had hurt Inuyasha, the one she loved most in the world, and who had risked his life countless times for her... He had done everything for her. _Everything_. Yet, she had hurt him by being with another man, whom she didn't love in the least.

And now, Kagome has used the words, "Sit Boy". She felt TERRIBLE. Just by looking at the pain in Inuyasha's soft, yellow eyes, she realized that he had clearly thought the relationship had far advanced past this state of bullying. Even if Kagome felt sorry, it probably wouldn't mend the pain Inuyasha was feeling at the moment…

'_My actions really do have consequences.'_ Kagome thought, forcing tears of self-pity not to well up in her eyes. '_I wish this was a lesson I had learned long ago, instead of now. I wish I had just learnt this lesson in the past, so I could have just skipped this whole horrible mess… I wish—'_

"This is what I'm talking about!" Inuyasha exclaimed frantically, as he scrambled to his feet and stared, wide-eyed, at Kagome.

Kagome was a little startled. "H-huh? What do you mean?"

"Your mood has changed!" Inuyasha exclaimed in awe. "I can sense it, Kagome! You were angry so shortly ago, and now you seem depressed! It's because of all your rapid mood changes, and the overwhelming smell of pheromones you've been releasing lately that I've figured maybe you're… you know, desiring… s-s—s…"

He blushed a deep scarlet red, and Kagome felt her head become suddenly dizzy. With that, she burst into tears, and flung her arms around Inuyasha. This time, she wasn't looking to be held by him, in comfort. She only wanted to return the favor, and make _him _feel safe.

"Oh, Inuyasha!" she sobbed, as she squeezed him tightly around the half-demon's shoulders. The dog-eared boy went stiff in her grip, but slid his arms around her waist, letting her cry uncontrollably into his red robe. He eyed the top of her head curiously, wondering what THIS mood swing was for.

"Wh-what's wrong now?" he whispered, in as gentle a voice as he could muster.

She sniffed. "I-Inuyasha, I-I-I'm sorry!" She let out a small moan of misery, then looked up into her lover's eyes, staring deep, yet firmly into them. When she spoke, she used her firmest, most serious tone of voice. The words came straight from the judgment of her heart.

"I vow, right now, to **NEVER** command you to sit again," she said, eyeing him seriously. "And I solemnly swear, on my life, that I will never break this promise to you."

Inuyasha looked at her, and felt a shiver go down his spine. Her eyes were so… stiff, at the moment. She looked so frustrated and sad about something. It was too mysterious… Inuyasha wished she could just tell him what the matter was.

'_All in her own time,'_ Inuyasha thought sadly to himself. With that, he leaned over, and kissed Kagome softly on the cheek.

"I love you," he whispered. "And I accept your vow. It's an… honor, to be the man you've chosen in life, Kagome. I just hope I… I don't disappoint you."

'_You couldn't... but it's already too late for me.'_

With that, Kagome'slips met Inuyasha's for a long, silent, yet passionate kiss. As she felt her thoughts drift away, Kagome also felt that they were only being momentarily taken away by the hopelessness that clouded her situation.

All she could do now was wait, until she felt the time was right to tell Inuyasha her secret.

_The End!_

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Finally, I have finished another chapter of the story! I've been working hard on this one, and I hope everybody like it! I will do more chapters like this one, which explore Kagome and Inuyasha's deep relationship. In fact, future chapters will reveal how they finally became a couple in the first place. In the meantime, Sango fans should definitely stay tuned--the next few chapters are going to be _very_ interesting...


	7. Who Needs Enemies? pt 1

"A Bundle of Joy"

An _InuYasha_ fanfic

By Paperkut-98

_Disclaimer_: I do not own _InuYasha,_ nor am I affiliated with the InuYasha franchise. I am making no profit from this story. You may not reproduce this fanfic without the permission of the author. Thank you.

Chapter Seven:

"_Who Needs Enemies? (Part 1)"_

Enough was enough.

Sango had spent the past three weeks with Kagome, Inuyasha, Miroku, and Shippou at the cabin. Yet, the past three weeks had felt more like three _years_.

Every night as Sango tried to sleep, she couldn't stop herself from trying to figure out who Kagome's baby's father was. Could it be a stranger? Someone she knew? What was he like? Did Kagome love him more than Inuyasha?

There were so many unanswered questions… Sango knew that who it was that impregnated her best friend was probably none of her business. However, she had a strange, unexplainable feeling that it _was_ her business; like she could know the man who had slept with Kagome but she didn't realize it yet…

'_There's no reason to believe that though,_' Sango told herself, as she lied on her sleeping bag. She was outside, by the beautiful lake that Kagome had told her so much about. The moon was shining brightly overhead in the illuminating night sky. Its bright reflection gave sparkle to the brilliant, tranquil lake below, which offered peace to Sango amidst all her confusion. It was a beautiful place to sit and think... which Sango assumed Kagome had been doing plenty of, ever since she discovered she was pregnant.

Sango fidgeted on her sleeping bag, feeling restlessness claim her mind. '_Kagome hasn't told me that the father is a bad person or anything…_'

However, she had another reason for wanting to know. The reason was…

Sango pursed her lips together as she thought of him. '_…Miroku._'

Lately, Miroku had been acting strangely. Sango first noticed it a few days ago when Miroku had announced his desire for a serious relationship with only one woman. That one statement alone had completely shaken every opinion Sango had ever formed of Miroku.

'_Of course, it's great that Miroku has changed,_' Sango told herself. '_But it's all so… sudden. It's too quick, especially for Miroku._'

Therefore, Sango had been thinking about both Kagome's pregnancy and Miroku's shift in personality recently. She had the strange suspicion that... perhaps, the two were linked.

However, she knew this was stupid. '_Kagome and Miroku are friends, but they're not really close. Why would they be involved with each other's problems, then?_'

On her sleeping bag, Sango sighed and rolled over. She forced her eyes shut. '_Fine. Tomorrow, I will try to learn whatever I can._' With that, Sango drifted away into sleep.

_The next morning,_ Sango found herself holding Kagome's shaking body once again.

"W-WHAT IF THEY **HATE** MEEEE!" the young teenager blubbered, her tears falling onto Sango's violet top.

Sango gulped. She felt _awful_ for the girl. It was a heart breaking thought that Kagome's own family would hate her for the pregnancy, but it was a very real possibility. It sickened Sango!

"Sshh! They won't hate you, Kagome," Sango whispered, letting the young girl sob against her chest. However, Sango wasn't sure about what she had just said.

Kagome had asked to speak with Sango privately after they had finished eating breakfast with their friends a few minutes ago. The two girls had walked out to a green clearing--the same area where Shippou liked to nap in the afternoon--and Kagome had confessed to Sango that she was going to return to the "Present", and admit her pregnancy to her family.

Still sobbing, Kagome wailed, "_You don't… know… that!"_ Kagome's slender frame continued to shake in Sango's arms, making Sango feel like crying too.

'_The fear she's feeling… she can't handle this! I want to make all of her problems go away_!' Sango thought, squeezing her eyes shut to avoid crying in front of the younger girl. '_It's not fair that other people have to go through problems like this! Like mine with Kohaku! It's not fair that Kagome can't fix things, just like I can't! It's not fair that people have to go through so much pain!_'

Kagome cried silently for a few more moments. Sango held her, realizing that all she could do was comfort her friend. But what could she do in the future? There had to be _something._ Sango had to do _something_ to make things easier for the girl…

Finally, Kagome finished. She tiredly pulled away from Sango's body, and looked up at her with her weak, puffy eyes.

"Sango, I feel so… sick," Kagome whimpered. She took an uneasy step backwards, and Sango heard the girl's stomach rumble.

"I—I feel like I'm gonna… g-gonna… _UUURRRGGGHHH!"_

With that, Kagome hunched over and spewed up her first round of Morning Sickness.

'_That's pleasant_!' Sango shuddered.

_After comforting Kagome_, Sango decided to investigate Miroku. It was obvious that Kagome was unfit to talk about her secrets today, but Sango hoped that that Miroku would say something!

Therefore, while Kagome did some house cleaning with little Shippou, and Inuyasha went to catch fish for supper, Sango located Miroku in the woods. He was scraping bark from a tree with a knife that he had borrowed from the kitchen.

"What are you doing, Miroku?"

Miroku turned his head and saw the lean, stunning Demon Slayer dressed in her battle suit, watching him with curiosity. He smiled.

"I'm scraping bark for my spiritual Spell Scrolls," he explained. He gestured to the tree with his knife. "It's hard to scrape the exact layer of bark, but this particular type of tree is most beneficial to my purposes."

Sango watched as Miroku went back to his work, picking at the tree's bark with the kitchen knife, giving his full attention to his duty.

"Why are you doing it by hand?" Sango questioned. "I thought that the temples donate those types of scrolls to needy monks."

"They do," Miroku replied. He bit on his lower lip, for a second, as he cautiously slid the knife through the bark and managed to produce a finely sliced leaf of wood, "...but doing it by hand gives me a greater rapport with the scroll itself, and when I key it with the spell later on using ink, this type of wood will work much better than the temple's offerings."

Sango paused to watch the Monk as he struggled some more. It was fascinating, she thought, to see him work hard, despite his past negligence to his duties as a monk.

'_I wonder if he will return to the temple one day?'_ Sango thought.

Finally, Miroku broke the silence. "I see you're wearing your Demon Slayer's outfit, Sango. Are you going to practice with _Haraikotsu_ today?"

Sango smiled. "No, Miroku. Actually, I was considering taking a walk today and I wanted to know if you could accompany me."

Miroku stopped what he was doing and turned to face Sango once again. He hesitated.

Sango cleared her throat. "Miroku, it's okay if you're too busy to go walking today… It's just that I heard of a tea hut nearby, ran by some maidens, and I was going to visit it myself, but…"

Miroku's eyes shifted, and Sango smiled.

'_Yes!'_ She thought happily. _'My plan worked! Miroku may have changed, but he's still perverted! There's no way he could pass up the chance to see all those women...'_

Sango could damn near _see_ the dirty thoughts forming in the perverted Monk's head. However, her hopes died quickly as he suddenly frowned.

"Hmm… Not today, I think. Sorry, Sango," Miroku apologized. He turned back to the tree and carefully removed the strip that he had previously cut, using all the care in the world to ensure that it would not splinter.

Sango's mouth dropped. '_His will is really strong enough to withstand the idea of all those women!_' she thought, awed. '_Amazing… Miroku has changed even more than I thought!_'

Sango hesitated, standing there in the forest. '_What should I do now?_' she asked herself, feeling worried. '_It's not like I can question him about his new personality while he's so busy with scraping trees, and I can't ask him to stop because that wouldn't be subtle enough…_'

"Sango, are you feeling well?" Miroku suddenly asked.

The female Demon Slayer froze as she realized that while she had been thinking, Miroku had turned around again and was studying her with a concerned look on his face.

"I—uh—yes!" Sango exclaimed. "I—I'm just… Well, I should go now! I suppose Kagome has some chores for me back in the hut!"

Sango hesitated once more, waiting for Miroku to say something. Instead, he fixed her with a stare. It was a calculating, chilling stare.

A stare that told Sango that he knew she was up to something.

_A few hours later,_ Sango was sitting outdoors with Shippou. She was slumped against the hut's side, feeling distressed, and Shippou lied by her feet, staring up at the azure sky. The weather was so incredibly perfect, ideal for sky gazing. There were even puffy white clouds floating around that reminded Shippou of his balloon transformation.

"_Aaah,"_ Shippou sighed, smiling euphorically. "It's such a beautiful day… Oh, Sango! Do you see that cloud over there?"

Shippou urgently pointed to a cloud towards the west. Sango looked and when she saw it, she smirked.

"Yeah, it looks like it has dog ears!" Sango giggled.

"Just like Inuyasha!" Shippou laughed. He sat upright, and beamed at Sango.

"Oh Sango, don't you think it's great that he and Kagome don't fight anymore?" he buzzed. "Now it's like we're a real family!"

Sango smiled. '_Shippou really _does_ look up to Inuyasha and Kagome like parents._' "That's right, Shippou!" she smiled.

Shippou looked at her with an element of concern on his young face. He cocked his head to one side. "Sango, what's wrong? Your face is all smiles, but your eyes are all worry!"

Sango raised an eyebrow due to the young demon's startlingly accurate description of her sentiments. She hesitated and then sighed lamentedly. She moved away from the side of the hut and lied on the ground, her eyes searching the sky as she spoke with Shippou.

"I'm not really _unhappy_ or anything, now," Sango said, the words flowing simply from her heart. "It's just that… Well, Miroku has been acting differently, Shippou, and I'm afraid that if he doesn't tell me why, we won't be close anymore. Do you understand?"

Shippou scratched his ear and giggled. The youngster then sprung up onto Sango's sternum, where he stood and looked her straight in the eyes with a gleam of mischief in his pristine brown orbs.

"I didn't know you worried about Miroku like that, Sango!" he smirked, devilish mischief flashing in his eyes.

Sango scowled playfully at the little demon, and then picked him up by the waist as she sat upright.

"It's not like _that_," she lied, pretending to be angry about Shippou's remark. She squeezed gently on Shippou's sides, causing the fox demon to squirm with bittersweet tickle-pleasure.

"I'm only concerned because I'm curious! That's all!" Sango scoffed, doing her best to put on an air of apathy.

Once Shippou stopped jittering with laughter, he stuck his tongue out at Sango. "You're such a liar, Sango. I can tell you're scared that Miroku may not want to be close with you!"

Sango's eyes flashed with annoyance. Shippou's honesty could be _too_ accurate sometimes.

She rolled her eyes. "What makes you say _that_?"

"Miroku has told you all of his secrets up until now," Shippou said, a smug look on his face as he donated his vast knowledge to Sango, "...and he knows all of your secrets, too. Now there's something he isn't telling you, and that makes you feel insecure."

Sango was silent. She gently placed the child down on his feet, and she lied back against the grass and stared into the sky. The relaxed, enjoyable mood she had felt some mere seconds ago had vanished.

'_Shippou is right,_' she realized, as her fingers played with the blades of grass on the ground. '_I suppose… I really do care for Miroku, as more than a friend._'

But… Sango let out a deep breath, and rubbed her fingers anxiously.

'_I CAN'T. Not after what I've done…_'

THE END!

AUTHOR: Hello again, everybody! I'm very happy that you've read this chapter! I appreciate everyone's attention very much. I tried to work hard on this chapter, so I hope you have enjoyed it!

I have decided to not revise "Bundle of Joy" upon its completion because I have re-read the whole story and I'm actually quite proud to have penned such a piece! I'm going to continue with my work, and the story will only keep getting better and more interesting… hopefully!

In the next chapter, Sango will confront Miroku. Who will survive, and what will be left of them? (LOL!)

I love you all so much! Please keep reading, and Happy Holidays!

Bye!

Paperkut-98


	8. Who Needs Enemies? pt 2

"A Bundle of Joy"

An _InuYasha_ fanfic

By Paperkut-98

_Disclaimer_: I don't own _InuYasha_, nor am I affiliated with the InuYasha franchise. I am making no profit from this story. You may not reproduce this fanfic without the permission of the author. Thank you.

AUTHOR: Hey, kiddies! It is time (finally!) for another installment of "Bundle of Joy". In this chapter, Sango's recent plotline will get a kick in the ass and take centre stage. You can expect a ton of drama and a little heartbreak so make sure to read it with some Kleenex handy! By the way, I was previously planning on writing a Sango-centric story to tie up a few loose ends that "A Bundle of Joy" is leaving, but I now plan on sticking with only one fanfic in the "B.O.J." world. That means that a lot of questions that anyone may have from reading this story will be answered later on. Now, on with the show! Enjoy yourselves!

Chapter Eight:

"_Who Needs Enemies? (pt. 2)"_

Sango cleared her throat and, without laughing, said, "I think it was all just a misunderstanding."

Her day had started well enough. She talked with Shippou yesterday, and he provided her with an idea to fix her problems with Miroku.

"Why don't you let me help you?" Shippou suggested, while scrambling onto her violet-clothed chest.

'_I CAN'T. Not after what I've done…_' The thought resonated through Sango's mind like fire. She glanced at Shippou, wondering how he could possibly help her with such a mountain of a problem. "How?"

"I can trick Miroku into spending some time with you!" Shippou exclaimed.

Sango listened with her heart half-empty. She felt like a sinner who had betrayed Miroku and she didn't know what to do. _Should_ she stick with her plan of learning the secrets of her friends, Kagome and Miroku, even though she was keeping a terrible secret herself? Was it fair for her to want to know what they were hiding, even though she wasn't willing to come clean herself? The confusion was overwhelming…

'_Which is exactly why I should just **do** something and not keep worrying myself to death_,' Sango decided.

"Shippou…" Sango said, her voice trailing off as though she was having an afterthought. She slowly propped herself up with her palms, and she then glanced uncertainly at the young fox demon with her troubled, chestnut eyes. "What… did you have in mind?"

Which led her to today; Sango recalled the memory vividly as she stood with Miroku and stared at an angry young Kagome.

"I don't care if it's a misunderstanding!" Kagome exclaimed. "Shippou stole my panties, and I want them back"

Miroku giggled.

"Is this really _funny_ to you?" Kagome shrieked. She raised her hand to slap Miroku. "Do you think it's _amusing_ that Shippou stole my private clothing?"

Miroku quickly exclaimed, "No!" before Kagome's handprint could engrave his cheek.

"Good!" Kagome said, and she put her hand down. "Right now, Inuyasha is hunting. He asked me to stay here and clean our bedroom."

Miroku peered suspiciously past Kagome's left shoulder, and through the open door just a few feet behind the girl that led into the bedroom. When he saw the mess, he felt puzzled. '_Why are there… coloring books strewn about the room?_' Miroku wondered.

"And of course, since that means that only you two are left, you need to go get Shippou and bring back my panties before something terrible happens!" Kagome exclaimed. Dramatically, she gasped and put her hands on her cheeks. "Ooh, It would be so embarrassing if Shippou showed them to people in the village!"

Miroku and Sango exchanged a glance. Sango was having a hard time stopping herself from laughing.

"What are you waiting for?" Kagome shrieked, interrupting the moment. "_Go_!"

"Uh… okay. Whatever you say, Kagome," Miroku mumbled. He turned and, with Sango at his side, walked towards the door.

"Remember, I said I was at the lake when he stole them from me!" Kagome called out as they exited the hut. "I think he went… er, east from there!"

As Miroku and Sango shuffled outside, Miroku felt his head spin. '_What does Shippou want with Kagome's panties? He's much too young to be interested in things like _that_…_'

"Well, shall we get going?" Sango suggested, arresting Miroku's thoughts. Miroku looked at her and, after a moment of hesitation, he nodded.

"Yes. This seems important to Kagome, plus it's strange that Shippou hasn't returned yet…"

Sango's chestnut eyes widened, "Do you think he might be in trouble?"

Miroku nodded. "It's a possibility. Let's hurry, just in case."

As the two walked away, a _POOF (!)_ could be heard from inside the cabin, just as Inuyasha and Kagome came strolling towards it from the opposite direction that Miroku and Sango had left in.

"Hmm," Inuyasha said, "I wonder where those two are go—_MMMFFF!_"

Shippou had quickly scrambled out of the hut, jumped onto Inuyasha's face, and grabbed his lips tightly. The half-demon mumbled, since his voice was being muffled by the younger demon's solid grip.

"Quiet, you idiot!" Shippou hissed, "or else they will hear you!"

Without success, Inuyasha frantically tried to paw Shippou away from his face.

Kagome thought for a moment and then her face lit up. "Oh, Inuyasha," she whispered, "Shippou is right. Haven't you noticed that Miroku and Sango have seemed distant from each other lately? We shouldn't interrupt them, now that they're spending some time together."

A low growl emerged from Inuyasha's throat, and with one powerful smack, he struck Shippou away. Shippou squealed and fell from Inuyasha's body. He landed on the ground with a quiet _"thump!"_

"Now, let's go inside and start cooking dinner!" Kagome exclaimed eagerly. The teenager hurried indoors, with Inuyasha and Shippou following behind.

Before he pranced into the hut, Shippou took one more look at the now fading Miroku and Sango in the distance. He smiled and then winced in pain, rubbing his head where Inuyasha had hit him.

_It had been _forty minutes and Sango was feeling a bit... impatient.

The two had been "searching for Shippou" ever since Shippou, disguising himself as Kagome using the art of transformation, had tricked Miroku with his panties idea. Fortunately, the scheme had worked. However, Sango was still having difficulty with learning Miroku's secrets. So, she decided to ask Miroku some simple, harmless questions in order to "ease" into it.

As they stepped through the brush and twigs that surrounded the couple, Sango looked at Miroku and asked, "So, what do you think you'll do after you've left Inuyasha and Kagome's cabin?"

Miroku glanced around for signs of Shippou as he answered, "I'm going to return to the monastery." He gave a glance to Sango, "and then officially resign from my duties as a monk."

Sango's eyes widened. "But, Miroku! Isn't that completely against taboo?"

The monk continued to walk through the forest, keeping his cool as he talked with her. "It would be much worse if I continued to be a monk, despite my discrepancies. I don't intend to disrespect the honor of Buddhism by pledging myself to it, and then breaking my vows."

Sango felt surprised. Of course, she knew that Miroku was a truant monk. He never kept his hands off women, and he barely ever visited a temple to pray or give offerings--both of which were practices very un-Monk-like. But _quit_? Sango had never thought that Miroku would do something like that.

Sango chewed on Miroku's words for a while. A few moments later, she was ready to ask another question.

"Miroku?" she said, stepping over a stray tree branch as she followed the monk through the woods. The weather was cooling, so Sango knew that it would soon be dark. She figured that she had at least two more hours to keep Miroku occupied until they absolutely had to turn back and make sure that Shippou was at the cabin.

"Yes, Sango?" came the reply.

"Why are you so different lately?" Sango's footsteps stopped and she stood still. Her expression was stern, and full of frustration and perplexity.

Miroku stopped moving. He was about four feet ahead of Sango now. He turned back with a puzzled expression on his own face, wondering why Sango was asking such a thing. However, he saw the look in her eyes, and he instantly knew that he had been fooling only himself the whole time.

A moment of silence passed. Sango bit her lower lip nervously. A low sigh of exasperation escaped her throat, and she spoke.

"Miroku, I have a confession," she said, casting her gaze downwards with embarrassment.

The monk said, "What?"

Sango hesitated, and then admitted, "It wasn't Kagome who asked us to search for Shippou... it was him. He used the power of transformation to fool you." It was one of her lightest secrets, but at least it was a start.

There was a calm moment, and then Miroku said, "But you weren't fooled, were you, Sango?"

Sango looked up at the man. His face was totally unreadable… Sango couldn't tell if he was angry with her or not.

"I…" her voice trailed off, unsure of what she should say.

"Why did Shippou and you want me to come out here?" The unreadable look in Miroku's blue-hued eyes became a suspicious jab to Sango anxieties.

Sango glanced away from him. '_Busted._'

Sango sighed, and then struggled to get her confidence back up. If she was going to speak with Miroku about things, she had to be strong. She stood her ground and looked at Miroku squarely in the eyes, resolvedly.

Miroku gazed at her with his knowing eyes. He recognised that she wasn't fooled by his behavior. Sango stared back, her bright eyes showing the wounds that had been inflicted by his mistrust of her. Miroku shook his head, sick with regret.

"You must know," he whispered, looking away, at the ground, "that I never meant to hurt you."

Time seemed to stand still. Sango stared at Miroku. Everything felt so alive, so fluid, now that he was finally opening up to her…

"What do you mean?" she demanded, her voice filled with confusion. "How could you have possibly hurt me?" '_Any more than I have hurt you?_'

Miroku let out a breath and looked up at Sango. She was shocked to find his eyes were filled with wet, sorrowful tears.

"I wanted to tell you!" Miroku said, his voice trembling. His hands, clenched at his sides, trembled. His stature seemed so much less composed than it was before, Sango noted. The one-time arrogant man stood before her, reduced to nothing less than a puddle... and it made her sad.

Sango stepped forward, tears of pain springing to her own eyes. '_This is going to hurt the both of us,_' she realized. "Tell me _what_?"

There was a moment of silence and then Miroku squeezed his eyes shut. Sango saw him swallow roughly, and when he opened his eyes, they had been reassigned a cold, bitter iciness.

"I… can't."

The notes hung from Miroku's mouth like a wall; a wall that was blocking all of Sango's attempts to get closer with the man she loved.

A deep sigh of frustration escaped the Demon Slayer's throat. She glanced up into the sky and angrily swallowed back her own tears. She would refuse to cry, if that was what it took to make Miroku let her inside of his secret.

"Miroku, I am tired of keeping secrets," she whispered.

He took a closer look at her, his mind racing. He then stepped forward, closer. "S-Sango… Are you keeping something from me as well?"

The night was now threatening to arrive. The sky had turned to a twilight hue, bluer than ever, and stars were beginning to reveal themselves in the dark abyss of the sky.

Sango swallowed hard, and felt a tear trickle down her cheek. She sniffed.

"I can't tell you my secret," she choked out. She tried to focus on Miroku's face, but tears were clouding her vision. "Not until you tell me."

Miroku looked at Sango. Finally, he stepped closer to her, covering the distance between their two bodies, and he lifted her chin up with a gentle, soothing hand. He studied her face carefully, and then caressed her with his words. "Just… trust me."

Sango's eyes turned to poison, and Miroku was burned. He hated to see the effect he was having on her… All his life, Miroku had wanted to be with many women. But now, he wanted only her… He couldn't hide his secret if it meant losing the one person whom he wanted more than anything in life… He just… _couldn't_.

"Don't be angry," he whimpered.

The softness in his voice touched Sango and she blinked back some tears. She could see his face more clearly now…

"Then tell me," Sango whispered.

Miroku sighed and then turned away. He couldn't bear to look at her… Not while he told her the shocking secret.

"Kagome… You need to ask her," was what he said.

And as the twilight faded and turned to black, Sango knew, as if it had struck her heart and broken it into a million shards, that Miroku was the father of Kagome's baby.

THE END!

AUTHOR: Holy crap, this chapter took a long time to complete! I was originally planning on making it longer, but I was really sidetracked… Anyways, I finally decided to make it shorter and post it now. Truthfully, I am afraid that I won't receive many hits for this chapter because it has taken me so long to post it, but I'm hopeful! Besides, it's not about the number of people who read my work; it's all about people actually reading it. I don't care whom or how many; if _ANYONE _reads my work, I am happy!

Okay, onto the spoilers for chapter nine: Sango will not be talking with Miroku any time soon; Kagome may have another one of her famous breakdowns; and Inuyasha may finally be getting some spotlight in future chapters… Hmm, why…?

READ CHAPTER 9 AND FIND OUT, KIDDIES!


	9. Whisper In My Ear

"A Bundle of Joy"

An _InuYasha_ fanfic

By Paperkut98

Disclaimer: I don't own _InuYasha_, nor am I affiliated in any way with the franchise, except as a fan. I am making no profit from this story. This story may only be displayed on Thank you!

Author's Note: Hey everyone. Welcome to chapter nine of _A Bundle of Joy_! So far, (as I'm sure some you have noticed) Inuyasha hasn't received much spotlight. I'm going to fix that soon, I promise! For now, though, I'm going to shift the focus to a new character—Kikyou! (Yep, Kagome's situation is about to get a little more difficult!) Thank you SOOOOO much for reading, and I really hope that you enjoy this chapter!

Here we go!

Chapter Nine:

A Whisper In My Ear, pt. 1

More than fifty years ago, a Priestess named Kikyou met a half-demon named Inuyasha.

Kikyou, once the sole protector of an ancient, powerful jewel called the "Shikon Jewel", was sworn to protect it. Because the jewel held such a great and terrible power, it could not fall into the wrong hands—the hands of demons—or else it could be used for evil. Many, many demons tried to steal the jewel away from Kikyou, but she managed to stop all of them, including Inuyasha.

Kikyou stopped Inuyasha before he could take the jewel. However, he was persistent. Eventually, the two's rivalry over the jewel turned into a mutual appeal, and they began to spend time together. Inuyasha liked Kikyou's grace and the kindness she showed to him, a half-demon who was used to being hated and feared. Kikyou appreciated Inuyasha's attitude towards her, and she understood his loneliness. She, too, had felt lonely, burdened by the responsibility of protecting the Shikon Jewel without excuse.

It turned out that Inuyasha, a half-demon, had wanted the jewel from Kikyou in order to transform into a full-blooded demon and end his torment of being a half-demon. However, together they figured out a much happier solution: Inuyasha would use the jewel to become a full-blooded human man, freeing himself from his own personal demons and purifying the Shikon Jewel's powers, meaning that Kikyou would no longer need to be its protector. The two could live in peace, as a normal man and wife would in different circumstances.

Happiness, however, was not to be gotten by them. A ruthless demon named Naraku tricked Kikyou, posing as Inuyasha, and he killed the woman. Then, posing as Kikyou, he fired an arrow directly into Inuyasha's heart, freezing the boy to a tree for fifty years of a silent sleep.

Later, a girl from the future named Kagome fell into a well in her own era and was mysteriously transported back to the Feudal Era, where she removed the arrow from Inuyasha's chest and revived the boy from his unwilling sleep. Shortly after his awakening, Kikyou was also revived, by a wicked witch, reborn into a clay body. Both old lovers separately searched for shards of the broken Shikon Jewel, fighting Naraku and many other evil demons that stood in their ways. Now, Inuyasha was living in a small cabin with Kagome and his friends…

…And Kikyou was walking quietly across grassy plains to reach him.

…

Inside Inuyasha's cabin, Kagome, Miroku, Inuyasha, and Shippou were sitting around the dining table. None of them felt cheerful today, since Sango had left them last night without any word of where she was going. Everybody felt worried.

Memories of the previous night continued to play in Miroku and Kagome's minds. It was sickening to know that they had hurt a person whom they cared so much about; the grief was terrible.

"Guys, what are we gonna do?" Inuyasha asked. His arms were crossed. "We can't just leave Sango all on her own. You know her history. Every time she runs off alone, she gets in to trouble!"

No one responded.

"Guys, are you hearing me?" he demanded. "Sango is gone! We can't just sit around like this!"

Everybody remained silent. The room was filled with an aura of solemnity, every heart heavy with bad feelings.

'_She was so angry…_' Miroku remembered.

He had tried to apologize to Sango last night. He had tried to explain that when he had sex with Kagome, he had been intoxicated. He had also explained that he didn't love Kagome. However, Sango hadn't listened to a word he said. She had yelled at him, slapped him, and then she ran to the cabin.

When she reached the cabin, Kagome was the only person there. Both Inuyasha and Shippou were in the forest, investigating a strange sound that they had heard earlier (which, it turned out, was only a child who had gotten himself lost while playing—Inuyasha and Shippou escorted the boy home before returning to the cabin a couple of hours later).

Kagome had been folding laundry, thinking about how she would tell her mother about the baby when she returned to the Present a few days later. She was extremely worried that her mom would be angry with her, but she figured that if she explained her situation the right way, her mother might understand a little better.

Sango found Kagome while the young girl was thinking about her mom. Lost in her thoughts, Kagome hadn't even noticed Sango's presence until the she uttered one small, hurtful sentence that made Kagome want to cry.

"I wouldn't blame Inuyasha if he left you."

After that, Sango had walked into the cabin, packed her things, and left without another word.

Inuyasha suddenly slammed his fist on the table, startling everyone.

"Dammit!" Inuyasha snapped. "Our friend is out there, alone, and you're all acting like a bunch of zombies!"

"Sango left of her own free will!" Miroku suddenly snapped. "If she had wanted someone to come with her, she would have asked!"

Miroku was feeling especially anxious. All his guilt for having cheated on Sango had culminated last night, when he saw the pain in her eyes after he told her about the baby. Miroku could barely stand to think about himself now—he hated himself for having hurt Sango. The last thing he needed right now was Inuyasha's attitude…

"So what?" Inuyasha yelled. "Do you wanna just let her be alone right now?"

Kagome watched the argument with a sad look on her face. '_It must be killing Miroku, not being with Sango right now,' she thought, 'I can sort of understand how he's feeling… This scenario has played in my mind with Inuyasha ever since I found out about the baby_.'

She bit her lip, which she knew would start to tremble if she continued to think. '_All the lives I thought would be ruined by this pregnancy… It's already starting. First Sango and Miroku… Will Inuyasha be next?_'

…

Meanwhile, Kikyou was walking across some bright, grassy plains. A light wind played with her hair and robes as she shuffled her feet, the weather mild and the sun relaxingly warm. Kikyou was in a peaceful place.

A few days ago, she had visited with Kaede, the wise old woman, to speak about Inuyasha.

"Kaede," she had said, "I wish to see him again. I want to know where he is."

Kaede had been silent, uncomfortably looking at Kikyou.

"Do…" Kikyou bit her lower lip, "…you know where he is?" she asked hopefully.

Kaede gazed at Kikyou judgmentally. "What do you want with Inuyasha?" she asked with suspect.

Kikyou felt like Kaede's question had a more aggressive tone. "What of that matters to you? My business with Inuyasha is personal, Kaede."

Kaede's look became a downright _accusing_ gaze. "If your intention is to make Inuyasha fall in love with you again, then you're going to be sorely disappointed," she said, "He is with _her_ now, and they're too close to be brought apart by your meddling."

Kikyou's eyes widened. '_H-how did she know?_'

Kaede's eyes closed. "Don't look at me like that. I am merely stating the obvious truth." She opened her eyes again, and looked at Kikyou with a strange look on her face. "You used to be so unreadable to me, Kikyou. What has changed? Now, I can even see the jealousy in your eyes every time I mention her… Kagome."

Kikyou again bit her lower lip. She felt surprised that Kaede was so bluntly insulting her.

"I can tell that you've made the decision to try to steal Inuyasha away from her," Kaede continued, "Oh dear… I feel _sorry_ for you."

"I…" Kikyou didn't know what to say.

Kaede looked away, a defiant look on her face. "I shall give you his address, if that's what you wish. However, I will warn you once again—he is with her now. You're only wasting your time. Do you understand?"

'"_He is with **her** now…_'"

The words flashed through Kikyou's mind like wildfire.

She looked up at the landscape, watching leaves flitter through the air as the wind carried them southward. She listened as the wind whispered across the grass and ever so lightly brushed against her body. She wondered briefly if Inuyasha was outside too, feeling the same wind brushing against his skin…

'_Kaede was right_,' she thought, '_he is with her now. They are no longer just friends, but something more_.'

Kikyou looked up at the sky, the image of the sun filling her with a sense of soulfulness. '_But… I've made my decision. I made it because of her… and now I've got to stick with it._'

With that, Kikyou pushed the harsh words of Kaede out of her mind, and she took some more brave steps towards her destination in order to face the music… no matter how sad the song might be.

…

After a lengthy discussion, Inuyasha and Miroku agreed to go search for Sango together.

"Are you sure that I can't come with you?" Kagome asked, feeling dread fill her heart. She knew that if Inuyasha and Miroku actually found Sango, then the topic of the baby would come up… and that would be _awful_.

Inuyasha nodded, looking at Kagome with a soft, heartfelt look in his eyes. "Yeah, I'm sure. You've seemed… unwell lately, Kagome. I want you to take things easy. You're going home in a few days, after all."

Kagome felt a small, weak smile spread on to her face. "Yes. Thank you for caring so much, Inuyasha. I…"

The half-demon smiled back. "You don't need to say a word," he whispered, brushing a finger across her cheek. He leaned in very close, and whispered so quietly that only she could ever be able to hear him.

"…I love you too."

He kissed her on the cheek, ever so lightly, and then he smiled into her eyes. Kagome fought furiously with herself to prevent tears of shame and guilt as she saw his sparkling, loving yellow eyes. She couldn't help but let one tear slide down her cheek, though.

"I'm… going to rest while you're gone," she whispered, her voice hoarse and close to cracking. "I… do feel unwell, actually…"

Inuyasha frowned, concerned for the girl. He then kissed her on the cheek once again. It was a chaste, sweet kiss, the kind of sign of affection that most people wouldn't expect from him.

"Just take things easy," he whispered. He then gave her a final, small smile, and then turned away.

Within a moment, Inuyasha and Miroku were gone. Within two, Kagome was in her room, sobbing against a pillow.

…

While Inuyasha and Miroku were looking for Sango, and Kagome was having a small breakdown in her bedroom, Shippou was outside the cabin, taking a nap by the base of a large tree.

For the past few weeks, he had been relatively quiet. His life was peaceful, relaxed, and without much drama. He was a good friend and a cheerful presence in any situation. He was cute, cheerful, and sort of fun to hang out with.

But he was _clever_.

Shippou knew that if he played his cards right, he could do anything he wanted, and luckily for him… he had all the right cards.

'_Just a little longer…_' he thought, lazily drifting off to sleep. '_Kagome and Miroku might be fooling Inuyasha, but I know there's something more going on there. There's too many strange things happening… Kagome has been depressed lately, and that's not like her. Plus, Miroku has been acting REALLY strange. He isn't even a pervert anymore! And how weird is it that the two of them, Sango's best friends, weren't able to stop her from leaving?_'

He shifted against the tree to become more comfortable. '_Nah… I refuse to believe, for one second, that something hasn't happened between those three. And since Sango has left, then it all comes down to the remaining two… Kagome and Miroku._'

Shippou gave himself a cocky grin as he drifted off.

'_Those two are keeping some sort of secret… and **I'm** the one who's going to figure it out._'

…

Meanwhile, Inuyasha and Miroku were walking through the woods, looking for Sango.

Inuyasha had picked up on her scent about twenty minutes ago. This lead had brought them to a hair in the forest, which Inuyasha had determined belonged to Sango. Without any other place to start their search from, Inuyasha had randomly picked a direction, and now, they were heading south.

Miroku hadn't said a word since they left the cabin. He was too busy hoping, with all his might, that they wouldn't find Sango. However, Inuyasha was an expert tracker, and Miroku's hope was dwindling by the second…

"I hope she's all right," Inuyasha said gruffly, pushing a tree branch out of his way as he stepped over some brush.

Miroku murmured in response as he followed suite, stepping over the same brush as he trailed Inuyasha's footsteps. Every fiber told Miroku to end the search, but so far, he hadn't thought of a single good idea to stop Inuyasha from pursuing Sango. All he knew was that if he didn't act quickly, they could very well find her, and that meant that things could get very, very ugly. After all, if Inuyasha knew about the baby, Miroku was as good as dead.

"You know, I really thought, that with things calmed down like they are now, you and Sango would…" Inuyasha said, "you know, get close or something." He ducked below a long tree branch.

Miroku's feet crunched on some leaves. "Yeah," he said quietly, sounding depressed.

Inuyasha briefly looked over his shoulder at the Monk and raised an eyebrow. "So, is there any reason why she ran away?"

Miroku's heart skipped a beat. "I—I told you!" he exclaimed, "She wouldn't tell me why! She just… left!"

He briefly wondered if Inuyasha had dragged him out to the forest to kill him.

Inuyasha stopped dead in his tracks, and he gave Miroku a look.

"I find it hard to believe that Sango didn't tell you _something_ about her leaving. You two don't keep secrets from each other… do you?"

Miroku was still tense. He wondered if Inuyasha was merely asking an innocent question, or if he was trying to suggest something more important. "N—no," he lied, shaking his head. "We don't typically lie to each other… but we also don't tell each other everything. I think she just had some personal business to take care of. That's all."

Inuyasha paused, and then he laughed.

"Yeah," he grinned. "I know what you mean. Kagome has been keeping something from me for a few weeks now."

Miroku's heart was racing faster than he had ever known it could.

'_Please, oh Dear Lord, PLEASE… Don't let him know about the secret…_' he begged.

"She tries to cover it up and act like nothing is wrong," Inuyasha said, not realizing that Miroku had actually broken out into a nervous sweat, "but I know something is up with her! She gets sick every day, plus she's always moping around…"

"W-what do you think is wrong?" Miroku asked shakily.

Inuyasha pouted and shrugged. "I dunno. It's probably a girl thing, I suppose."

Miroku let out a long, deep breath with relief.

'_Thank you, God!_'

Inuyasha crossed his arms and then smiled happily. "You know, women can be strange… keeping secrets, running off, and all…" he told Miroku, "but I wouldn't trade Kagome for the world."

Miroku looked at the resolve in Inuyasha's eyes as the half-demon proudly pronounced his love for Kagome, and he couldn't help but smile a little bit.

"I know what you mean," he said quietly. "I feel the same way about Sango."

Suddenly, the two heard footsteps coming from the side.

"What was that?" Miroku exclaimed, quickly shifting to his right.

"I dunno!" Inuyasha said. He immediately gripped the handle of his _Tetsusaiga_, which was sheathed by his waist, and he spun to face the same direction that Miroku was looking in. That's when he saw her.

Long, flowing black hair… eyes that could make any man crumble… flawless, pale skin… and a poise matched by no woman.

It was Kikyou.

"Hello," she said, "Inuyasha."

_THE END_

_Author's Note_: Hey everybody! I'm FINALLY done with the chapter! I worked really hard on this one… I admit, I'm not impressed with my lack of speed, but I'm going to continue to work hard, though. I know that people are actually taking time to read the story, and that's a really good feeling. Thank you _**SO**_ much for reading! I appreciate it a lot, and I hope you're enjoying my work!

BTW, I posted the first chapter of _.hack/TEMPORAL VICTIMS_ a couple of days ago. I'm really, really proud of that fanfic. I wrote it last summer, and every now and then, I will pull an all-nighter and write up one single chapter at a time. Don't expect that story to be finished any time soon, but you can expect a really good, quality piece of work from it. Honestly, it's the only story I've ever worked on that makes me think, '_Wow… I did good with that one._'

On a different note, I think… I'm going to change my mind about putting A Bundle of Joy on hiatus during the summer. However, no matter what I decide, I know that I won't be working solely on this fanfic during my summer vacation. I have another project that I started in November, called _Smells Like Coffee!_ It's a _Naruto_ fanfic, and it's only loosely based on the _Naruto_ characters… That is, I've taken the characters and shaped them into my own unique molds. It's an angst-filled, but real story about growing up and finding the courage to be yourself. I think a lot of people could enjoy reading it, but it's a project that will require a lot of my attention, which is why I want to wait until (a) _A Bundle of Joy_ is finished, or (b) my summer vacation, when I will have enough time to multi-task on two different projects.

I still haven't made up my mind about my summer projects, but you can expect to see more chapters for this story coming regularly for the rest of the school year.

Next chapter: what has Kikyou been up to these past few months? And who is the mysterious her that she referred to earlier this chapter, when she said, "'But… I've made my decision. I made it because of her… and now I've got to stick with it.'"

Find out in chapter ten of _A Bundle of Joy_!


	10. Flames of Yesterday, pt 1

"A Bundle of Joy"

An _InuYasha_ fanfic

By Paperkut-98

_Disclaimer_: I do not own _InuYasha_, nor am I affiliated in any way with the franchise, except as a fan. I am making no profit from this story. This story may only be displayed on this website. Thank you!

_Author's Note:_ I'm sorry for the long wait, but at least ch.10 is finally here now! This chapter is mainly about Kikyou, and she has a flashback in it. This is a two-part chapter, so ch.11 will finish where we leave off. I hope you enjoy it! Thanks.

…

Chapter 10

"_Flames of Yesterday, pt.1"_

_For a long time, it had been difficult to tell if Kikyou was feeling emotions or not. Inuyasha and his group encountered her from time to time, but each time she seemed apathetic, or stony._

_Now, however, things were different._

_A girl was worriedly giving water to Kikyou. The fallen priestess had learned this girl's name was "Ayame." She was, judging by her canine teeth, a wolf demon, which reminded Kikyou of Inuyasha's "rival", Kouga. But despite her demonic heritage, the girl was friendly._

_Besides, Kikyou **needed** help if she was to figure out what had happened back in the woods a little while ago. The last thing she remembered were flames…_

_Before the end of the night, Kikyou had described to Ayame how she walked through the forest, on her way to wherever her footsteps would lead her, when a group of bear demons had attacked her. She fought hard and furiously, but then one of the bears swiped at her head, and she was knocked out cold._

_Even now, her vision was a little blurry but then, her sight had been **swimming**. She didn't why the bears left her alone, but she was laying, untouched, on the forest ground for what seemed like hours, until…_

_When Kikyou reached the part of her story about fire surrounding her, Ayame blushed, highly embarrassed._

_"S-sorry, miko-san… I guess that's **my** fault, huh?"_

_"What do you mean…?"_

_Ayame turned a deep shade of red as she stoked the fire with a long stick. The duo was in a small clearing, with a campfire in the centre. It was a dark, starry night._

_"I've been training here, in the valleys and mountains, for a few months now. Those bear demons were part of a group that has been bothering **me**, as of late._

_I had to run away from them three nights ago, when I sprained my elbow in battle. I'm a wolf demon—"_

_"I noticed."_

_"—Ha-hah! Um… so, I hid away while my elbow was cured. Demons have that sort of power, you know…_

_While I was hiding, the bears came for me several times, but I managed to outwit them each time they wanted to feed on me. So, I guess when you came along, they…"_

_She gulped. "They were real hungry."_

_Kikyou's eyes roamed the stars. "Then what?"_

_"I was lighting a fire when I heard the bears howling; it was a loud bark, very sharp-like, so I knew they had found some prey. I wanted to save whoever it was, so I rushed to get you…"_

_She paused, and then said, "I'm sorry. I should have put out the fire first." Her vacant, wild-looking eyes trailed off towards the ground._

_"So, you killed the bear demons, and then brought me here?"_

_Ayame nodded. "I didn't have much left to kill, though." She sounded more upbeat. "Y'know, for a priestess, you're pretty powerful!"_

_Kikyou felt a small smile creep onto her cheeks. It was nice to be called—_

_**Wait**. A… smile?_

_Kikyou blinked rapidly. She felt… not right._

_Ayame's young voice seemed far away. "Lady Priestess? I-is there something wrong?"_

_Kikyou felt a sharp pain in her eyes. They were… **burning**…_

_"Miko-san, why are you crying?"_

_Kikyou's body shook, and her throat felt like it was… **blocked**. It was so strange; she hadn't felt this way for so long…_

_As Ayame crept close to her, and carefully put her hand atop of Kikyou's, the fallen priestess realized what was wrong, and why she was suddenly acting so emotional._

_But most of all, she just wanted someone to hold her… someone like **him**._

_**Inuyasha**._

_As soon as the thought struck Kikyou, she thought of her old lover's face… his hair, silvery and long with cute doggy ears amidst his glossy locks… She realized she missed him._

_And she realized just how far away he was, wherever that may be, as she lay in the forest—**sobbing** for her lost lover._

…

It had been so long since the two of them had seen each other. Now Inuyasha and Kikyou were stood, facing each other, in the woods close to the cabin.

Miroku stood silent, watching as Inuyasha and the priestess stared at each other. He appreciated the timing of Kikyou's arrival. Of course he hadn't known she would be arriving, but at least now his faux-search for Sango had ended!

'_Inuyasha won't kill me!'_ Miroku breathed.

Inuyasha watched Kikyou. His quest for Sango quickly slipped his mind. Lots of memories, playing a faint existence behind his thoughts, managed to entrap him…

But they were brushed away as Miroku spoke. "Lady Kikyou… It's nice to see you again."

Kikyou blinked once, and then pried her attention away from Inuyasha. She looked at Miroku with her beautiful eyes. "Monk, It is good to see you too," she replied.

Inuyasha knew there was something different about the way Kikyou spoke. Her voice had _resolve_—she sounded… informal?

'_Weird!' _he thought.

"What brings you to us?" Miroku asked calmly.

"I'm here to meet with Inuyasha," was her response.

She looked toward the _hanyou's _shoulder, and saw his gaze was fixed toward the ground; his face was solemn. Clearly, he wasn't thrilled to see her.

"We shall speak… privately," she told Miroku. "But I would prefer to do it later. I'm _tired_ right now."

Miroku blinked with surprise, while Inuyasha's jaw dropped. _Kikyou, _was complaining about _tiredness_?

'_Yeah,'_ Inuyasha thought, suddenly more concerned. '_There's definitely something different about her!'_'

"Uh… alright!" Miroku stammered excitedly. "Inuyasha, shall we--?"

"—I don't know if Kikyou's gonna feel comfortable, sleeping in my cabin," Inuyasha said gruffly. He shot Miroku a glare which said '_Don't invite her over!'_

But Miroku didn't back down. "Nonsense!" he chuckled, anxiously. "What makes you say that, Inuyasha?"

And he was thinking, '_If Inuyasha refuses to let her stay over, everybody will remember Sango is missing! My secret will be uncovered!'_

Inuyasha's ears twitched suddenly, out of irritation. "Be-_cause,_" he snapped, grittily. "It's already so _crowded_."

'_If Kikyou comes over tonight, Kagome will be **furious**! I'll get into so much trouble!'_

"I don't want to be a bother," Kikyou said. Her voice was… _sincere_.

Inuyasha stared at her for a moment, and then sighed out of frustration. "Don't worry about it. Uh… Kagome and Shippou were cleaning, so I'm sure there'll be more space when we get there."

Kikyou gave him a small smile. "Thank you," she said.

Inuyasha felt surprised. A _smile_.

He scratched himself behind the ears as Miroku stepped forward, eagerly. "Let's get going!" he said, acting chipper. "We don't want to lose daylight!"

'_I'll get him back for this…'_ Inuyasha thought bitterly. '_What a mess!'_

…

It was near dark when Inuyasha, Miroku, and Kikyou arrived to the cabin. Shippou was outside, lying on the branch of Miroku's favorite tree, taking a nap.

Miroku felt bad for the little guy; he had been upset all day, wondering where Sango was, or why she left. Miroku just hoped he didn't decide to start snooping around, since he couldn't afford to have him find out the truth… _especially_ if he told Inuyasha.

After Inuyasha knocked on the door of his own cabin, there was a hesitation, and then Kagome opened the door.

Her jaw dropped.

"We're back," Inuyasha said, through clenched jaws. Miroku felt a little unnerved by the iciness in his friend's tone.

"K-K-Kikyou…" Kagome's stammered. She stared at the undead priestess, transfixed.

Kikyou felt uneasy, under Kagome's intense eyes. "Hello, Kagome," she said, awkwardly.

Both women had a difficult time finding words to say, so Miroku broke the ice. "Kagome, we weren't able to find Sango, but we _did_ meet Kikyou, in the forest. She's here to visit Inu—"

"She's here to talk to me," Inuyasha interjected, forcefully. "But first, she's tired and needs rest."

"Sorry to impose," Kikyou bowed her head deeply, to show respect. "I only need a place to stay for one night. After tomorrow, I… um, I will probably get going."

Kagome's left eyebrow shot up. '_Probably?_'

Erratically, she hissed, "Inuyasha, can you get in here? We need to _talk._"

With that, she grabbed Inuyasha's sleeve, and yanked the man inside. He yelped as he was pulled in.

Kikyou and Miroku watched until the door slammed in their face. Miroku then turned to Kikyou.

With a warm smile, he said, "I'm sure Kagome understands!"

But Kikyou wasn't listening; she was too busy thinking about the second heartbeat she could sense within Kagome… the heartbeat that had no demonic aura whatsoever. Yet, she could sense something else in there… Something like…

…a _curse._

…

Kagome slammed the door shut, to keep Miroku and Kikyou outside. She then brought Inuyasha, forcefully, to their bedroom, and locked the door in anger.

Inuyasha was startled by the hateful look in her eyes.

"_Why_ did you bring… **_HER_ **here?" Kagome spat out, angrily.

Inuyasha silently groaned. '_Damn Miroku—making me do this…'_

"I wasn't the one who invited her," he said, truthfully. "Miroku did. Kikyou had no place to stay, and he thought it would be a good idea if—"

"_No place to stay_?" Kagome shrieked. "Kikyou **_never_** needs a place to stay! That woman sleeps on the ground, most of the time! Damn, does she even sleep, at all?"

Inuyasha cast his glance at the floor, feeling very stressed out. "There's something different about her, now," he admitted. "I-I've never known any undead being to complain about tiredness, before."

Kagome let out a long, frustrated sigh. All day, she had been having bad stomach cramps, due to the pregnancy. Her favorite skirt no longer fit, _and_ Shippou had actually been bold enough to ask her why she was, "getting so fat".

Keeping her pregnancy a secret was starting to become a little impossible, since the weight-gain was an inevitable part of the process. Plus, the stress was _killing_ her—not just the stress of keeping such a big secret from her partner, but from being a frigging unwed, teenage mother-to-be in the first place.

Added to that, Sango had left her life, and, well…

"The _last_ thing I need is for Kikyou to be here!" she snapped, clenching her hands into fists. Her eyes burned holes through Inuyasha. "I am _really_ upset right now, Inuyasha."

He looked a little surprised. "With _me?_"

She squealed with anger. "_Yes!_ I—I'm so mad, I could spit!"

Inuyasha stared at her, with shock. Her mood swings were _scaring_ him. Not to mention the overwhelming stench of pheromones coming from her body…

"Kagome," he said, very softly, "I don't know why you're so upset—"

"_What_?" she shrieked, "have you _not_ been listening to me? I said, I _hate_ Kikyou being here—"

Before she could continue, Inuyasha reached forward, a softly brushed her hair with his fingers. He looked at her eyes, very calmly, and spoke in a low tone. "I don't know why you've been so upset _these past few weeks…_" he finished. The girl fell silent, knowing fully well what he meant.

"…But I'm giving you time, until you want to tell me yourself," he explained, hoping she could understand the love in his words.

Apparently, she did—her eyes filled with tears, as quickly as he finished his sentence. "Oh, Inuyasha…"

His hand traveled down to her cheek, as he gently caressed it. She silently sobbed, as he did so. "Please, Kagome… don't hate Kikyou, she's not well… There's something wrong, and she _only_ needs a place to stay…"

Kagome's tears ended at the mention of Kikyou's name—_BUT_ she wasn't as angry as before. For that, she could grant Inuyasha one small favor.

"_Fine_," she spat. "But only _one_ night. By tomorrow afternoon, that woman had better be _gone_."

Inuyasha nodded. "Alright."

…

While Kagome and Inuyasha held confrontation in the cabin's bedroom, Miroku and Kikyou had taken a short, comfortable walk along the lake.

The walk had been silent so far; Miroku was merely enjoying the cool, fresh air of the forest around him, and the serenity of the earth, as stars shone in the afternoon's twilight, reflecting off the calm surface of the lake.

He kept glancing at Kikyou. Something about her lips was so appealing… like they were ready to turn into a smile, at any time. He liked how she had changed, even if it was slightly unnerving.

"So," Kikyou said, softly. She gazed at Miroku, curiously. "What have you been up to, lately?"

Miroku continued walking. "I've decided to resign from my duties as a monk," he announced clearly.

Kikyou hesitated. The sky held no breeze; only the water shimmered, in the cool nightly air. It was peaceful. "I see," she said simply.

He looked at her, wondering if she understood. She, being another member of Buddha's society, deserved respect when it came to her opinions.

Instead of offering her thoughts, she asked, "And Sango?"

Miroku's heart froze. '_Sango…_'

"Sh-she has left on a journey," he lied, feeling his legs turn to lead. '_If only that were true…_'

Kikyou gazed at him. It didn't take a fool to see that Sango had gone, and Kagome was pregnant, to put two-and-two together.

Miroku continued to think deeply, until Kikyou finally spoke.

"I sensed it, Monk."

His thoughts broken, Miroku turned to her, puzzled. "You sensed _what?_"

Kikyou closed her eyes, tensely. "The baby. Kagome's baby—_your_ baby."

Miroku froze. His heart skipped a beat, as he realized what Kikyou knew. He instantly wondered how she knew it was _his_ child.

"H-how do you know it's mine?"

Kikyou smiled, slightly. "I'm a priestess," she reminded him. "I have spiritual sight. It allows me to sense things, and what I sensed in that child…" She sighed, lightly.

"I would not wish upon any child in the world," she said, sadly.

Miroku tried to figure out what she was talking, but following her eyes to his right palm, he knew exactly what she meant.

'_It's a boy!' _he realized. Simultaneously, he felt both proud, and grim.

'_If it's a boy, that means…'_

"You sensed a _Wind Tunnel_ in that child, didn't you?" he asked, in a very flat voice.

Kikyou sadly nodded.

The night air brushed past Miroku's cheek; things had just went from bad, to worse. Sango was gone, and now his child---and, probably, Kagome—was doomed to fall victim to the cursed _Wind Tunnel_… It was as though all his joy from being a father had just slipped away, from his fingertips. Fear replaced it.

Kikyou interrupted his thoughts. "You must leave," she said quietly.

Miroku glanced at her, not quite understanding her. "Uh… what?"

Her lips were pursed, and her eyes were darkly serious. "Monk, there is no telling what Inuyasha will do to you once he finds out," she said, icily.

Miroku listened to the truth, "Kagome is his partner. Inuyasha will not take your discrepancy lightly—he will _kill_ you, if his demonic side takes control. He could even hurt your baby, or Kagome!"

Miroku's breathing slowed, as he took everything into consideration. Of course, he had known Inuyasha would be _upset_once the truth came out, no question… but he couldn't _leave_!

"Inuyasha wouldn't _kill_ her…" Miroku muttered.

"And you?" Kikyou glared. "How will he react, when he learns you have impregnated the woman he _loves_?"

Miroku simply stared at the ground, and said nothing.

He wanted to admit he had thought carefully about his situation… but he _hadn't_. As far as he knew, he had no power, or say over the matter at all.

_He_ couldn't control how Inuyasha would react. _He _couldn't control how Kagome might get treated, for being pregnant with his child. He couldn't control the gender of the baby, either; or Sango's leaving him, making him feel like a failure; or now, how Kikyou would use the information she had, to her own advantage…

Miroku clenched his jaw. The stacks were against _him_ in this situation! No matter who decided what, it was always going to hurt _him!_

"I-Inuyasha…" he said, slowly, "_will_ kill me, won't he?"

Kikyou watched the man, as he stared into the lake, and felt sorry for him. Mostly for him, but also…

…a little for Kagome; because, for Miroku, she would give him fair warning as an offer of help—but as for _her… _Kikyou would not play so nicely.

…

Shippou's young eyes fluttered open, as the birds chirped in the new morning. He had had a terrible dream the night before; he was trying to transform into a cat, but he kept ending up as big, fat Kagome…

'_Ugh!'_ he thought, blinking furiously, as he rubbed his eyes to wake up. '_When she's not complaining about stomach cramps, or eating enough for two people, she's in my dreams! Yuck!'_

Suddenly, he heard a voice.

"Kagome, we _both_ know how Inuyasha will react when he finds out about the baby! We've just been ignoring it, for so long!"

Was that… _Miroku_?

'_The baby?_' Shippou wondered. He scanned the area below his tree, and saw that both Miroku and Kagome were stood near the entrance to the cabin, talking and looking tense. But why…?

"Miroku, I know you're scared!" Kagome snapped, sounding really upset. She was clutching her stomach, trying to soothe it—another bout of the sickness she seemed to get daily, Shippou thought—and her voice was hoarse, as though she had a cold, or something, "but I can't just leave Inuyasha to go run off with you!"

Shippou's eyes shot wide open. '_Why are they talking about running away?'_ he wondered. Then, it dawned upon him; Miroku must be scared about Sango missing! So, he wanted to search with Kagome at his side… which didn't make _any_ sense, Shippou realized. _Inuyasha_ was the one with a keen sense of smell, not Kagome…

The next thing he knew, his world had turned completely upside-down.

"Even if I _am_ pregnant with your baby," Kagome snapped, "I need to be a _little_ selfish. I need to follow my heart, dammit!"

Shippou's jaw dropped.

A long, surrendering sigh came from Miroku's mouth. He said, very quietly, "So, you're going to stay here with him… even if it means death?"

Kagome hesitated, and then said, "He wouldn't kill me. You know that… _or_ the baby."

Shippou caught only a fraction of the pained glare Miroku gave Kagome, before he nearly stumbled out of the tree from shock.

_PREGNANT?_ The thought exploded in Shippou's mind. Kagome was _pregnant? _With _Miroku's _baby!

"Wait a minute… you're not changing your mind about being a father, are you?" Kagome asked. Her voice changed; suddenly, she sounded concerned.

Miroku stammered, "N-no, not at all! I just…" His voice dropped lower. "I'm just a little worried," he admitted.

Kagome touched Miroku's hand, and squeezed it gently. "Don't worry," she said, sounding totally relaxed. "I'll make sure Inuyasha understands that you haven't done anything wrong—it's _me_ he should be upset with, after all."

"And the curse--?"

"I'm sure Kaede will know what to do" Kagome smiled, reassuringly. Shippou, however, could tell that the teenage girl did not _feel_ reassured.

"We'll go see her soon enough," Kagome continued, "But for now, we belong _here_, together! We have to make sure that… _woman_ doesn't blab to anyone about our secret… We need more time, Miroku. Just a little more time!"

Miroku nodded bleakly. Kagome's smile faded, as she hunched over, and violently threw up, completely out of the blue.

Shippou's heart was racing _fast_. He clutched the tree branch he was sitting on, desperately hoping he hadn't just heard what he _thought_ he heard…

'_I did._' Shippou realized, '_Kagome really is pregnant with Miroku!_'

Given the circumstances, Shippou figured nobody had remembered he was sleeping outside tonight. They weren't expecting him to overhear their little conversation, meaning it wasn't about to become public news anytime soon.

However, Kikyou knew… How interesting.

Shippou stared up at the blue sky. He knew now why Sango had left, and he wasn't so sure he could blame her. This also explained why Kagome was putting on so much weight, and why Miroku had been changing, personality-wise, so drastically in the past few weeks…

But still, the idea that two friends were betraying his… his _family_ so badly had no explanation at all. And worst of all, this was a secret that Shippou couldn't use to manipulate others. This was a secret that could only _destroy_ others. So now, he felt guilty, and had no idea what would happen next…

He continued staring up, into the deep blue. '_What do I do…?_' he thought, hysterical.

'_WHAT DO I DO?_'

…

THE END!

…

_Author's Note:_ Ooh, suspenseful! What will Shippou do with his new knowledge? What does Kikyou have planned for Kagome now? And why is the undead priestess suddenly smiling, crying, and… eh, _feeling?_ Find out—well, a few of those things—in ch.11 of the story! And please check out my second fanfic, _Black Chapter_, since it has an _InuYasha_ character involved with it!

Thanks for reading, Bye!


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